In response to the global climate and energy crisis, Hachette Livre—the parent company of Hachette Book Group—has announced an ambitious carbon reduction strategy that aims to cut 30% of the company’s carbon emissions by 2030. Dubbed its “30/30 Strategy,” Hachette aims to reduce emissions annually by 2.5% by reconfiguring its operations to be greener and more energy efficient.

According to a December 21 press release, the company is targeting Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, including a “30% reduction in the proportion of books that are shredded, a 26% reduction in carbon intensity of paper manufacturing, an 18% reduction in carbon intensity of book printing and binding, and 1% and 1.5% annual reductions in upstream and downstream freight respectively.”

In 2009, Hachette began measuring its Scope 3 emissions with the help of the climate and energy decarbonization consulting firm Carbone 4. Since then, Hachette said its French division it has reduced its emissions by 20%.

To improve the company’s overall carbon footprint, the company said it has developed a “biodiversity plan,” with initiatives to reduce plastic use that will be rolled out with its 30/30 Strategy.”Additionally, Hachette said it plans to shift to 100% renewable energy use by 2026.

Hachette Livre is a subsidiary of Lagardère SA, one of the world’s third-largest mainstream publishing groups. In 2021, the company reported €2,598 million in revenue. It comprises over two hundred imprints, which together publish around 16,000 new titles per year in a dozen languages (mainly English, French, and Spanish).

In 2021, U.S. division Hachette Book Group reported that 99.9% of its overall paper usage came from Forest Stewardship Certified and Sustainable Forestry Initiative fiber. Recycled fiber accounted for 8.3% of HBG’s overall paper usage, a 10.8% drop from 2020 and a 17.6% decrease in recycled tonnage.

“These declines were due to an urgent lack of available recycled fiber,” Sophie Cottrell, senior v-p of corporate communications for HBG, said. “We remain committed to sourcing recycled papers when they are available in the marketplace and to push our suppliers to integrate recycled fiber into more paper products.”

An outline of HBG’s environmental and carbon reduction strategies can be found on its social impact page.