What is the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Publishers Compact?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Publishers Compact is a collective initiative which hopes to rally publishers worldwide to actively contribute to the realization of the SDGs by 2030.

According to the UN the SDGs are "the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all" they encompass many global challenges including those related to climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. You can learn more about the specific goals HERE.

Collaboratively launched with the International Publishers Association at Frankfurt 2020, the Compact serves as a framework for inspiring action and fostering collaboration among publishers, aiming to accelerate progress towards the shared goal of sustainable development.

Signatories to the SDG Publishers Compact commit to:

1. Committing to the SDGs

2. Actively promoting and acquiring content

3. Annually reporting on progress towards achieving SDGs

4. Nominating a person who will promote SDG progress

5. Raising awareness and promoting the SDGs among staff

6. Raising awareness and promoting the SDGs among suppliers

7. Becoming an advocate to customers and stakeholders

8. Collaborating across cities, countries, and continents

9. Dedicating budget and other resources towards accelerating progress

10. Taking action on at least one SDG goal

To learn more about the compact and to sign on, click here.

Read the Article Here

What Wiley is Doing in Sustainability

Taking a closer look at Wiley's sustainability initiatives reveals a concerted effort to address environmental concerns within the organization. The Wiley Impact program, particularly the Go Green initiative, aims to reduce the environmental impact of operations by understanding and mitigating factors contributing to carbon emissions.

Despite being CarbonNeutral certified across Global Operations, Wiley recognizes the ongoing necessity for climate action. Through participation in the Science Based Targets Initiative, the company has set emission reduction targets in alignment with contemporary climate science.

One area of their focus has been the distribution of print products, which significantly contributes to Wiley's carbon footprint. Collaborating with Trees for the Future, Wiley's Go Green Fund plants a tree for every print copy abstained from, establishing carbon sinks to offset print-related emissions.

While commendable progress has been made, with 505K trees planted since July 2021, Wiley's aspiration to reach 1 million trees within three years necessitates a reduction in print volume by 1 million copies. The success of this goal hinges on collaborative efforts to eliminate unnecessary print.

Insights from Wiley's 8th Annual Society Member Survey underscore a shifting preference towards digital content delivery, with environmental considerations increasingly factoring into decision-making.

While these initiatives signal a step in the right direction, ongoing commitment and action to address sustainability challenges are needed to continue progress.

Read the Article Here

Photo by Jeroen den Otter on Unsplash

Webinar: Using the GBA Printer-Publisher Checklist

On February 13th, 2024, GBA held a webinar to discuss using the Printer-Publisher Checklist. A recording and presentation slides are available below.

Event Description

In early 2023, the Green Book Alliance, a sustainability forum for the book business founded by Book Industry Communication (U.K. and Ireland), BookNet Canada, and the Book Industry Study Group (U.S.), released its printer-publisher checklist. Crafted as a document that could help printers and publishers start or extend their conversations about sustainable practices, the checklist has been increasingly used to inform decisions about environmentally favourable book production processes.

In this webinar, we’ll describe how the checklist was developed in concert with printers and publishers, the best practices it outlines, and how it is currently being used. Come to this session to hear how it can help your business reduce its impact on the environment while also fostering meaningful dialogue with your trading partners about their practices and plans.

Moderator:

Brian O'Leary, BISG

Panelists:

EJ Hurst (New Society Publishers)

EJ Hurst is Sales Manager and Sustainability Lead for New Society Publishers. She is dedicated to New Society's sustainability goals and is delighted to be part of a team helping to shape public perception about sustainable publishing and raise awareness within the book industry. She has a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo and has been the head of sustainability at New Society Publishers since 2021.

Dirk Hiler & Bryce Inman (Lakeside Book Company)

​​Dirk Hiler started his professional career at RR Donnelley in 1986. Over the last 35 years, Dirk has held numerous engineering and manufacturing positions with RRD, LSC Communications and Lakeside Book, spending the past 25 years in the book side of the business. For the past 10 years he has been overseeing all book manufacturing operations, and as President of Operations at Lakeside Book he also is responsible for many support functions which include EHS and sustainability efforts. He has been a longtime contributor to the book industry and BMI, most notably leading the committee working on the Manufacturing Standards and Specifications for Textbooks (MSST) and supporting the educational book business in leadership roles with ACTS.

Bryce Inman has a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies (emphasis in Policy & Values) as well as a LEED Green Associate Certification. She has worked at Lakeside Book Company for five years, recently taking on the role of Sustainability Specialist where her focus is on meeting reporting requests and leading initiatives to reduce waste and emissions.

Watch the webinar recording below or follow this link.

Lakeside Book Company's Slides