Introducing the GBA Book Carbon Calculator
Across the publishing industry, organizations are eager to reduce their environmental impact, but lack simple, accessible, and affordable ways to measure carbon emissions. Current tools are either proprietary, limited in scope, or backward-looking, which is to say that most carbon reports are annual snapshots that do not meaningfully influence day-to-day production decisions.
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Last year at Frankfurt, we held a workshop on sustainability data collection, and what came out of that discussion and consultation with industry stakeholders was, “start with carbon footprints.”
Organizations were asking for consistent, transparent reporting methods aligned with established frameworks like the GHG Protocol, and accessible for organizations of all sizes.
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What We're Doing
We are adapting an existing Canadian Excel-based carbon calculator, created by New Society Publishers and ECW Press, into a free, user-friendly web tool accessible across international markets. This tool will allow publishers, printers, and supply-chain partners to calculate the carbon footprint of a book before production decisions are made, enabling more climate-conscious choices in real time.​
Project Timeline:​
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Version 1 launch: First half of 2026
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Version 2: Following year, incorporating user feedback and expanded functionality
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​​Support This Initiative​
Become a Sponsor - we are continuing to look for financial support for V2.
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Industry visibility through launch communications, webinars, events, and case studies
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Logo placement within the tool
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First access to training and early demo opportunities
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Sponsors will be prominently acknowledged in press coverage and media
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Champion the GBA Book Carbon Calculator:
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Share the project on your social channels or newsletters
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Attend or promote upcoming webinars/demo sessions
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Encourage your team or clients to explore the tool
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​Stay Up to Date
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Become an early adopter
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​Inquire about joining our beta testing group
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