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HarperCollins UK has surpassed its target of saving 140 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2022 by 23%, the publisher has announced. By transporting 3.2 million books from Europe to the UK by rail, it saved a total of 172 tonnes of carbon.
This equates to just over 41% of books produced for the publisher in Europe during that year. The company intends to increase the amount transported by rail, with a target of over 200 tonnes of carbon saved in 2023, then more depending on rail capacity. HarperCollins titles that travelled this way included Feel Good Food by Joe Wicks, Menopausing by Davina McCall, and new J R R Tolkien publishing including The Fall of Numenor and The Silmarillion deluxe edition.
Group production and global sourcing director Charlotte Veaney said: “Low-carbon transport options are a key part of our sustainability strategy, with rail being a major part of this. After our successful trial of sending books by train that started with Feel Good Food last February, we set ourselves a target of saving 140 tonnes of carbon emissions for the year. I’m delighted that we not only met our 2022 target but exceeded it. The challenge now is to go further, which will depend on rail capacity and the cooperation of our European printers, who have already shown they are keen to work with us on reducing emissions in the supply chain. I am confident we will be able to report similar good news in a year’s time.”
HarperCollins is a signatory to the publishing industry’s declaration on climate action, Publishing Declares, and said the reduction of emissions in the supply chain was part of its ongoing environmental strategy. The company became independently certified as a carbon-neutral business in scopes one and two in January 2022 and is now working with EcoVadis— which provides business sustainability ratings—to help tackle suppliers’ scope 3 emissions.
HarperCollins UK c.e.o. Charlie Redmayne said: “I am pleased by the progress made in 2022 in reducing emissions by using rail to bring our books in from Europe. There is more work to be done but by remaining focussed on our targets and with the help of EcoVadis and the cooperation of our suppliers, I look forward to further progress in 2023.”