Following a recent board meeting, the Association of American Publishers has announced plans to enhance its activities related to climate change and sustainable publishing, along with its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. As part of its plan, the AAP will hire additional staff in 2022 to be responsible for overseeing these areas as they relate to the organization.
As a first step, the AAP will convert its Climate and Sustainability and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion working groups into formal committees within the organization next year and open both committees up to more member participation. In addition, the AAP said, new staff "will work with member companies and partners to facilitate industry-wide information, tools, collaborations, and programming, and advise AAP’s leadership on short- and long-term objectives for the publishing ecosystem."
The expansion of these programs was initiated by Brian Napack, president and CEO of Wiley, who was elected chairman of AAP’s board in September. “Today’s announcement affirms the publishing industry’s deep commitment to the promotion of a healthier and more equitable world—and the recognition that we must collaborate to achieve maximum impact,” Napack said in a statement.
“Throughout history, the publishing industry has been instrumental to distributing knowledge and empowering human progress,” said AAP president and CEO Maria A. Pallante. “By focusing AAP on diversity and sustainability challenges, the board is not only acknowledging the potential impact of change management within its own ranks, but also acknowledging its responsibility to future generations of publishers, authors, readers, and leaders.”
