Winners of the IPG Sustainability Award for a second year

The Press picked up the inaugural award last year and we won again at the 2021 ceremony, which took place at the OXO Tower Brasserie in London. The judges were won over by what they called: “another 12 months of influential publishing in the sustainability field” and by our ambitious targets on reducing carbon emissions and plastic use.

They said Cambridge “publishing does important work to highlight the climate emergency,” and that our “people are following that lead with changes too.”

Publishing highlights included a new edition of Mike Berners-Lee’s There is No Planet B and the successful Cambridge Elements series on Earth System Governance, set alongside an exciting line-up of forthcoming trade titles, text books, journals and reports.

Our entry also covered work to develop science-based targets for carbon reduction and to gather data on global emissions and impacts, alongside initiatives such as a commitment to plastic free journal distribution by the end of 2022.

During the year, we also helped to organise Climate Exp0, a virtual conference held by the COP26 Universities Network and the Italian University Network for Sustainable Development (RUS). It connected policymakers, academics and students across the world who want to help deliver a zero-carbon, resilient world. 

Helen Griggs, Global Director, Environment, Procurement and Supply, Operations for Cambridge University Press & Assessment, said: “To win this award for a second year running is a huge vote of confidence in our publishing and in our efforts to make our operations more sustainable.

“We recognise there is a climate emergency and that we have a responsibility to act. Our role as a leader in global education and research is to inform and progress action and debate around the environment and climate change.

“We are also committed to reducing our own environmental impact, becoming a carbon neutral organisation, supporting our suppliers to share our ambitions for a carbon zero supply chain, and promoting our environmental ambitions to our people, customers and partners around the world. 

“Once again, the Independent Publishing Awards judges have recognised the powerful combination of our publishing on these topics and our efforts as a business, as colleagues and as individuals.” 

Launched in 2007, the awards are run by the Independent Publisher’s Guild and are the UK’s biggest annual celebration of independent publishing.