Environmental Sustainability
At Cambridge, we publish research and share knowledge that informs, educates, and inspires others to drive positive environmental change.
We all have a role to play to increase our positive impact on people and the planet. We are working collaboratively with our authors, customers, suppliers and publishing partners, to fulfil our ambitious goals to reduce our carbon emissions.
Changing the way we operate
Inspiring discovery through research
We publish journals across science, technology, medicine, the humanities and social sciences which build knowledge of the climate crisis.
Building knowledge through publications
Our books covering the climate crisis build knowledge within the academic community and aid understanding of the crisis for general readers.
We all have a role to play
We will continue to share knowledge and research that informs, educates, inspires and raises awareness of critical environmental issues in our journals, books and Elements, and hope our actions inspire a shared commitment across the academic community.
Discover more about the work being done by Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Hear more on our Hot off the Press pod
Recent news in climate and sustainability
Our commitment
At Cambridge University Press we are committed to reducing our Scope 3 emissions by approximately one third by 2027.
We’re changing the way we operate and working collaboratively across the industry to scale up global progress towards increasing sustainability in publishing.
We are the academic publishing group of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, discover more about the work being done across our organisation.
How we are achieving this
By 2025...
We aim for 95% of our new titles to be print on demand.
We have already made more than 70% of our backlist catalogue and almost 80% of our frontlist prints available as print-on-demand, but we have more to do. We continue to revise product specifications to ensure print-on-demand suitability and are actively expanding relationships with a more varied set of providers in new locations.
By 2027…
We aim to reduce indirect Scope 3 emissions across our supply chain by approximately one third.
Scope 3 emissions account for almost 70% of an organisation's emissions and we are working hard to reduce these in academic publishing.
As a publisher, we focus on initiatives such as print-on-demand, reducing print journals and digital sustainability to reduce our emissions from paper, print and freight.
By 2030…
We aim to have converted 70% of our print journals to online-only.
We are working with our society partners, editorial boards and customers to transition journals to online-only access, while concurrently reducing print at conferences and other events. We have already reduced our print copies by over 500,000 copies since 2021.
Looking ahead
We are going above and beyond to monitor the emissions from our academic platforms, to drive greater digital sustainability for the Press. Through data analysis with our partner DIMPACT, we are measuring our digital emissions from online content hosting platforms, and taking action to reduce them. Discover more about this IPG Award-winning work in our series of stories,
We are building knowledge of the climate emergency for both the scientific community and general readers, through the publication of research that inspires and supports the discovery of new solutions to tackle these challenges.
Our publications cover the full spectrum of subjects from soil science to social policy and palaeontology to environmental law.
We aim to inspire action and solutions to the climate crisis from science, economics, law and beyond.
Book highlights
Rethinking the Science, Economics, and Diplomacy of Climate Change
Author: Simon Sharpe
How Today's Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air
Author: Mark Z. Jacobson
How to Build the Sustainable Economy
Author: Dieter Helm
A Handbook for the Make or Break Years
Author: Mike Berners-Lee
Highlights from higher education
Introduction to Modern Climate Change
Author: Andrew E. Dessler
Author: Mark Z. Jacobson
Authors: Michael A. Box, Gail P. Box
Author: Bert J. M. de Vries
Cambridge Elements
Authors: Andreas Miles-Novelo, Craig A. Anderson
Author: Aaron Deslatte
Authors: Ann V. Sanson, Karina Padilla Malca, Judith Van Hoorn, Susie Burke
Talking Climate with Mike Berners-Lee
Listen to the experts
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How does the current biodiversity crisis compare with the so-called “Big Five” mass extinctions?
Fires, floods, and storms: studying the extreme events that reshape coastlines under climate change
Blue Justice: The urgent need for justice in ocean access, management, and protection
Hear more from our authors in higher education
Essentials of Water with Peter Blanken
100% Clean, Renewable Energy and Storage for Everything
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