Book Industry Treatise on Environmentally Responsible Publishing

Posted on May 9, 2014 Updated on May 9, 2014

Its comprehensive name describes with precision for what it stands for. The Book Industry Treatise on Environmentally Responsible Publishing was developed with the insight and collaboration of over 25 stakeholders, among which there were big and small, trade and academic publishers, printers, paper mills, manufacturers and merchants. This was a treatise developed by book professionals for book professionals, and I personally believe that is what makes it worth of account.

The agreement sets “attainable and measurable goals for improving the social and ecological footprint of the book industry”. The goals comprise:

• “Addressing global warming through the use of recycled fibre and renewable energy”: Specifically, shift the book industry’s consumption of paper to PWC, in a long-term basis;
• “Supporting the use of additional non-wood recovered fibres”: For instance, by supporting the use of renewable energies, such as wind, and by purchasing paper manufactured with wind;
• “Protecting Endangered and Highest Value Forests”. This supposes not using wood fibre from regions as the tropical rainforests in Latin America;
• “Supporting Best Practices in Forest Management”, for instance, by shifting the book industry’s paper consumption to certified paper only (FSC, PEFC, etc.);
• “Reducing Production Impacts”, by increasing the use of low VOC, soy-based inks and least toxic materials;
• “Recycling and Reducing Consumption”;
• “Human Rights”. Support the indigenous and local communities through the use of virgin papers that are FSC certified, and also ensure for the provision of fair wages and work conditions of the labours involved in overseas book production;
• “Transparency”. Signatories have to track their progress towards meeting the goals of the Treatise and report it.

A Leadership Council, composed by 10 publishers, printers, paper manufacturers and merchants (among which there are Harvard University Press, Chronicle Books and the organisation Green Press Initiative), was responsible for the implementation of the agreement and will conduct its future revisions. In 2013, the treatise has already been signed by 250 US book publishers, according to data provided on Eco-Libris.

While I was doing my research, I did not find any other agreement like this, exclusively dedicated to sharing environmental policies and more responsible practices for book production. This document is focused on the US book industry, but equally large book markets, such as the UK, would benefit from a “sector-wide holistic agreement on paper and publishing”, like this one.