Springer Nature joins Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign, furthering commitment to climate action
London | New York | Berlin, 15 October 2021
Springer Nature has announced it is joining the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign, responding to an urgent call-to-action for companies to set emissions reduction targets that can collectively limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C.
By joining the campaign, which is backed by a global network of UN agencies, business and industry leaders, Springer Nature has committed to set verifiable science-based targets through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which independently assesses corporate emissions reduction targets in line with what climate science says is needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement which aims to avoid the worst potential impacts of climate change.
This announcement coincides with Climate Action Day: a movement of global organisations amplifying the action they are taking to listen to the climate science ahead of COP26.
Thea Sherer, Climate Action Officer and Director of Sustainability at Springer Nature commented:
“Following the science is second nature at Springer Nature, so becoming part of the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign and setting Science Based Targets just makes sense. As a world leading publisher of climate research, responsible for over 40,000 journal articles and book chapters in this space since 2015, we are acutely aware of the importance of turning to science when looking to solve some of the most pressing global challenges.
“As well as our publishing portfolio, Springer Nature has introduced industry-leading sustainable business practices, becoming carbon neutral across the company’s direct business operations in 2020. We look forward to setting targets that will help us make further progress towards reducing our emissions and to play our part in aiming for a 1.5°C future.”
Alberto Carrillo Pineda, Managing Director of the Science Based Targets initiative, said:
“There is no time to lose. The transformation to a net-zero economy is unavoidable. Hundreds of businesses are leading the way by setting ambitious 1.5°C science-based targets. To stand a fighting chance of maintaining a habitable planet, we urgently need more companies to act on climate science and to decarbonize our economy.”
ENDS
More on Springer Nature’s approach to climate action and the development of the group-wide sustainability team can be found here.
Note to editors:
1. What is the Science Based Targets initiative?
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting and independently assesses companies’ targets. Over 1600 companies have committed to set science-based emissions reduction targets.
2. Springer Nature has made significant progress since 2017 when the company first started reporting on its environmental and social performance.
This includes:
- Becoming carbon neutral in its direct operations in 2020.
- Reducing energy use and purchasing green electricity for offices around the world.
- Minimising plastic wrapping of its products.
- Establishing an internal ‘Green Office Network’ of more than 120 colleagues in 12 countries.
- First publisher to sign up to The Climate Pledge, and committed to being Net Zero by 2040.
For over 175 years Springer Nature has been advancing discovery by providing the best possible service to the whole research community. We help researchers uncover new ideas, make sure all the research we publish is significant, robust and stands up to objective scrutiny, that it reaches all relevant audiences in the best possible format, and can be discovered, accessed, used, re-used and shared. We support librarians and institutions with innovations in technology and data; and provide quality publishing support to societies.
As a research publisher, Springer Nature is home to trusted brands including Springer, Nature Portfolio, BMC, Palgrave Macmillan and Scientific American. For more information, please visit springernature.com and @SpringerNature
Maeve Dunne | Senior Communications Officer, Sustainability | Springer Nature
maeve.dunne@springernature.com
