Publishing Declares, a sustainability pledge with 39 founding signatories from across the industry, has been launched
today by the Publishers Association.
The purpose of Publishing Declares is to raise awareness of the sustainability issues most relevant to the UK book and
journal publishing industry; to aid the discovery of existing tools and resources and to inspire action that results in
sustained behaviour change.
The signatories pledge to:
- Join the global climate effort to limit warming to 1.5°C by setting ambitious, measurable targets across our own
operations and extended supply chain to achieve net zero as soon as possible and by 2050 at the latest. - Protect nature and biodiversity, working with supply chain partners that are resource efficient, use sustainable materials
and processes wherever possible in the content we produce, and constantly innovating to make use of new and recycled
materials. - Collaborate with our peers, authors, illustrators, supply chain partners, and business partners to translate our climate
aspirations and commitments into tangible actions to safeguard our planet for future generations. - Empower our colleagues to become climate literate and support them to bring that knowledge into the work that they
do. - Use our expertise, platform, and voice to raise awareness and drive positive climate action wherever we can.
The pledge is the first project in an ongoing scheme of work which will also include a report, carbon calculator and a
materials index. The Publishers Association established a working group in February 2020 representing a cross-section
of the book and journal publishing industry to develop this work, convening this cohort of 30 publishing businesses
regularly to understand their collective material risks and greatest potential for positive action. Carnstone Partners – a
business consultancy specialising in sustainability – were commissioned to work with the association and its members to
develop the pledge.
Stephen Lotinga, Chief Executive of the Publishers Association, said:
“We are thrilled to be launching Publishing Declares and it is heartening that so many businesses have signed up as
founding members. We encourage organisations from across the industry to add their signatures to the pledge and join
with us to work towards a more sustainable future.
“Sustainability is a hugely important area of work and although there are many publishing companies working on
excellent initiatives, there is real power in us coming together as an industry to make this pledge.”
Organisations can sign up to the pledge at publishingdeclares.com.
Notes to editors
- Over the coming year the Publishers Association will deliver:
• a report to help the wider publishing sector understand where risk is in the supply chain and what interventions
are most effective.
• a carbon calculator to help publishers understand the source of their greenhouse gas emissions and how they
can reduce their overall impact by calculating their emissions using emissions factors that are specific to the
publishing industry.
• a materials index to help publishers understand the environmental impacts of their products through the
materials used in them and to thus reduce those impacts. - Publishing Declares founding signatories
Publishing
| And Other Stories | Stefan Tobler, Publisher |
| Bloomsbury Publishing | Kathleen Farrar, Group Sales and Marketing Director |
| Bonnier Books UK | Perminder Mann, Chief Executive Officer |
| Bristol University Press | Andy Williams, Operations Director |
| Cambridge University Press & Assessment | Catie Sheret, General Counsel |
| Canongate Books | Jamie Byng, Chief Executive Officer |
| DK | DK Shaun Hodgkinson, Chief Operating Officer |
| Elsevier | Anne Kitson, Senior Vice President and MD of The Lancet and Cell Press |
| Faber | Faber Mary Cannam, Managing Director |
| Fine Feather Press | Andrea Pinnington, Co-Founder |
| Firefly Press | Penny Thomas, Publisher |
| Hachette UK | David Shelley, Chief Executive Officer |
| HarperCollins UK | Charlie Redmayne, Chief Executive Officer |
| Kogan Page | Helen Kogan, Managing Director |
| Liverpool University Press | Anthony Cond, Chief Executive |
| Michael O’Mara Books | Lesley O’Mara, Managing Director |
| Nosy Crow | Adrian Soar, Commercial Director |
| Old Barn Books | Ruth Huddleston, Publisher |
| Oneworld | Juliet Mabey, Publisher |
| Oxford University Press | Tim Fulton, Chief Transformation Officer |
| Pan Macmillan | James Long, Publishing Operations Director |
| Pearson | Sharon Hague, Managing Director Pearson School Qualifications |
| Penguin Random House UK | Tom Weldon, Chief Executive Officer |
| Princeton University Press | Caroline Priday, Head of Office Europe |
| Profile Books | Andrew Franklin, Managing Director |
| Publishers Association | Stephen Lotinga, Chief Executive Officer |
| SAGE Publishing | Mark Walford, Vice President |
| Scholastic | Scholastic Catherine Bell Co UK Group Managing Director |
| Simon & Schuster UK | Ian Chapman, Chief Executive Officer |
| Springer Nature | Joyce Lorigan, Group Head of Corporate Affairs |
| Taylor & Francis | Annie Callanan, Chief Executive Officer |
| Thames & Hudson | Neil Palfreyman, Chairman |
| WF Howes | WF Howes |
Production & Supply
| Book Industry Communication (BIC) | Karina Urquhart, Executive Director |
| Clays | Edoardo Cuomo, Deputy CEO |
| CPI Group (UK) | Tanya Dunbar, Divisional Managing Director, Trade Books |
| Woodland Group | Nini Mikolajski, Sustainability Lead |
Bookselling
| The Booksellers Association | Meryl Halls, Managing Director |
Writing & Illustration
| Society of Authors | Nicola Solomon, Chief Executive OfficeR |
- The Publishers Association
We are the member organisation for UK publishing, representing companies of all sizes and specialisms. Our members produce digital and print books, research journals and educational resources across genres and subjects. www.publishers.org.uk | @PublishersAssoc - Carnstone
Carnstone is a specialised management consultancy working globally at the intersection of sustainability and business
strategy. Rooted in sound technical and commercial understanding, we provide advice and support to large companies, international organisations and NGOs from offices in London and Shanghai.
We believe collaboration is one of the most effective ways to tackle complex sustainability issues, and a significant part of our work consists of bringing companies together to drive progress across sectors and supply chains.
www.carnstone.com