Progressing towards a greener future for Journals
14 July 2021
Last update: 06/08/21 19:07
A Q&A with Jenny Mathias, Global Marketing and Operations Director
How is the Academic Journals group contributing to the Press’ environmental goals?
Cambridge University Press is committed to reducing our energy-related emissions to zero carbon globally by 2048, with a 70% reduction by 2030. To achieve this we’ve been analysing which parts of our operations generate the most carbon, and challenging ourselves to work with our suppliers and partners to reduce this. For our journals operations, printing and freight are the biggest contributing areas, and we’ve been focusing our efforts here. With the help of our partners, we’ve been reviewing how many journal issues we print, making sure that we are only printing what’s needed, and where possible encouraging a switch to online access. Whilst online isn’t carbon neutral (we’re working on reducing our digital carbon impact too) it is lower than print options.
How do you think the pandemic has affected print and digital?
The pandemic has accelerated a trend we had been seeing before of customers switching to digital options. With postal systems disrupted in the early days of the pandemic (as well as Brexit-related issues for our European customers) we saw an increased demand for and appreciation of online access and its advantages almost immediately. This has been sustained into 2021 and we expect the demand for digital to continue to grow.
What is (in your opinion) the key benefit of accessing the journal online as opposed to print?
There are so many! Aside from the reduced impact on the environment, online access can be faster and more convenient, as well as space-saving. Our online article pages are designed to add useful tools to help you assess the relevance of the article and to move from this to related pieces of content that might interest you.
Do you foresee a world without the print journal?
No, we don’t. We recognise that, where our customers have a strong requirement for print, we must strive to provide it in a way that matches our drive to sustainability. We will also support customers who want to reduce their environmental impact with online-only access options.
Read more about our print reduction project and the benefits of online access
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