Springer Nature publishes first group-wide Responsible Business report
London, 28 March 2018
Springer Nature today launches its first Responsible Business report since the creation of the company through merger in 2015. The report, entitled Discover More, outlines how Springer Nature helps the communities it serves to advance discovery and learning and tracks the environmental and social impacts of its global operations. The report was commissioned as part of Springer Nature’s commitments as a progressive publisher of academic, educational and professional content and services.
CEO Daniel Ropers commented: “We have a large global footprint at Springer Nature and are very conscious of the responsibility that comes with this. We work with more than 13,000 colleagues based in 50 countries and we serve many millions more in the research, education and professional communities around the world. Discover More, our first Responsible Business report, will help us to track our impact and inform our future actions.”
The report covers how Springer Nature seeks to act responsibly in four key areas:
- As a responsible publisher of research and education content: supporting researchers to more easily, efficiently and effectively have an impact through their research.
- People and partners: developing an inclusive and diverse global workforce, and with policies and processes – underpinned by its code of conduct – that set clear expectations both for our colleagues and our business partners.
- Responsibility to the Environment: undertaking, for the first time, a review of the operational impacts of the business, including paper used in published products and energy and resource use from offices and warehouses.
- Responsibility to the Community: outlining a new company-wide framework for making contributions to community partners – enabling access to equitable, quality education and science. In 2017, Springer Nature gave more than €570,000 as donations and sponsorship to charities and organisations to support projects and programmes aligning with these aims.
Daniel Ropers, CEO continued: “This is the first time since the merger that we are able to share an integrated view of our Responsible Business activities for the group. It’s a great basis to start from and our commitment is to build on this in the years to come. We will also continue to contribute to the public debate around sustainability through our publications, by presenting the best research around issues relevant to wider society in an impartial and accessible way.”
This commitment is also reflected in the company’s journal portfolio. In 2017, Springer Nature launched both Nature Sustainability and the fully open access Sustainable Earth, while the Springer journal Sustainability Science celebrated its 10th anniversary and Nature Climate Change its 6th. In addition, the Springer Nature Grand Challenges programme, also launched in 2017, seeks to connect policymakers, business leaders and civil society with the multidisciplinary research and so help address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Springer Nature is a leading research, educational and professional publisher, providing quality content to our communities through a range of innovative platforms, products and services. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals and resources reach millions of people – helping researchers, students, teachers and professionals to discover, learn and achieve more. Through our family of brands, we aim to serve and support the research, education and professional communities by putting them at the heart of all we do, delivering the highest possible standards in content and technology, and helping shape the future of publishing for their benefit and society overall.
Visit: www.springernature.com/group and Follow @SpringerNature.
Thea Sherer
Head of Group Communications
Springer Nature
tel +44 (0) 207 843 4703 | thea.sherer@springernature.com
