Authors support publishing industry action on climate

Picture of Martin Reed

Martin Reed

Martin was the SoA's Head of Communications from 2016 to 2024.
The Authors and Illustrators Sustainability Working Group* welcomes the Publishers Association industry statement on climate: Publishing Declares.

We gladly add our names as signatories and in turn commit to working constructively alongside publishers to achieve their aims.

We are fully aware that the Publishing Declares commitment is a baseline only, and we ask all publishers and suppliers to create urgent and ambitious plans with targets that exceed the time frames in the commitment, given the seriousness of the crises faced by the planet.

We will be suggesting to authors and illustrators that they urge their publishers to sign the commitment and give detailed strategies for change. These should include clear steps for action that will halve their carbon emissions by 2030 at the latest and achieve net zero by 2040. The earth cannot wait any longer.


*The Authors and Illustrators Sustainability Working Group is an umbrella organisation set up through the Society of Authors, to represent the interests of British authors and illustrators in consulting and negotiating with UK publishers, agencies, distributors, suppliers and retailers to press for climate change initiatives.

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