The Australian Publishers Association is committed to guiding and supporting climate action within the industry.
As the climate crisis accelerates, publishers are working to minimise their environmental impact and to future-proof the industry.
Publishing has a duty to be part of the circular economy, supporting action now to meet net zero emissions targets, and to ensure our work does not jeopardise the planet for future generations. Publishers also understand they have an interest in action that meets the expectations of readers, authors and booksellers.
There are major environmental issues to be addressed at all stages of the publishing process: from acquiring and editing books to producing them, promoting them, and getting them into the hands of readers.
We know we must act; the challenging question is how best to plan and coordinate our efforts.
This guide is an introduction to current best practice and is intended as a prompt for industry discussion on environmental sustainability. Please contact us if you have any recommended updates to the guide.
What we can do
“Understandably, many of these recommendations take extra time and/or money to truly follow-through with. Therefore, those who put in the work will want to see their return on investment.
While time may not technically be recoverable, the benefits of product quality, employee retention, profit, and audience loyalty are among the best returns possible when publishers commit to eco-practices.”
Eco-Publishing report