Adopted by governments around the world in 2015, the Paris Agreement pledges “to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels”. In anticipation of the global stock-take taking place at COP28 next month, the UN has reported that global action on climate is not on track, and that raises the prospect of continued weather extremes and threats to ecosystems.

Although demoralizing, this news does not yet mean the Paris goals are beyond our reach and in a world where every fraction of a degree matters, concerted collective efforts will continue to make a difference. And as publishers sharing the robust and peer-reviewed research on climate solutions, we have an important role to play.

Following the science

At Springer Nature, following the science is second nature and as well as sharing important content, we have started on our own decarbonization journey. This month, we’re delighted to announce that our ambitious science-based net-zero targets have now been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), allowing us to track progress to reducing our carbon emissions robustly and transparently. SBTi provides companies with a way to write targets that align with the near- and long-term emissions reductions required (collectively with other companies) to limit average warming to 1.5°C.

It’s taken us a few years to get to this point. We began reporting our carbon emissions in 2017. In 2020, we announced we would become carbon neutral for our offices, warehouses, fleet, and flights, and we have been every year since. And in 2021, we were the first publisher to sign the Climate Pledge and committed to being net zero by 2040.

As the industry gathers in Frankfurt, exchanging knowledge and discussing what we can achieve collectively, we want to share a few insights into how we prepared our targets and what we’ve learned from the progress in a bid to help others begin or progress along their own decarbonization road.

Set a baseline year

First, we set 2019 as our baseline year as it reflects business as usual before the pandemic. We had already taken some significant steps by 2019; however, to be ambitious it’s important to use a baseline year that’s not too far back.

Next, in order to set clear targets, we needed to fully understand our emissions—including those in our supply chain. This is a complex exercise, using established methodologies—and some informed estimations. Our full 2019 carbon footprint reflects more than 1 million data points. We started in 2017, publishing our scope 1 and 2 emissions along with partial scope 3 emissions (relating to leased buildings and flights). We’ve gone further this year and published our full scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for 2019–2022. (Scope 1 are those direct emissions that are controlled by a company; scope 2 and 3 are indirect emissions that are a consequence of the activities of the company, but from sources not owned or controlled by it.)

Once you’re equipped with data, set your targets. The SBTi requires considerable emissions reductions over a short timeframe, which is why we are targeting 54.6% scope 1 and 2 emissions reductions and 32.5% scope 3 reductions by 2032, relative to a 2019 baseline. We are also targeting a 90% reduction across all scopes by 2040.

It’s important to be able to see where some of the big reductions needed can come from—although it’s likely you won’t have all the answers to start with. We’re talking to our largest suppliers to understand their carbon footprint, and making impactful changes in our offices. By 2021, 95% of the energy we purchased globally was renewable, and we’ve changed to LED lights in some of our larger sites knowing this will reduce our electricity consumption. We use sustainable buildings checklists, promote lower carbon travel, and have updated air conditioning systems in some of our warehouses. You can explore our targets on the SBTi dashboard or in our new Sustainable Business Report supplement.

Our work to date has been complex and involved a cross-business coalition of colleagues. We’re deeply grateful to all of our colleagues that have supported us along the way: from procurement to production, facilities to finance. We’re proud to present our progress and share insights with our peers to help others progress too. It can feel like a lonely place to be sometimes, driving forward change and instilling new ways of working. Find people in similar positions, start where you can and don’t let reporting get in the way of action. Working together is key to realizing our climate ambitions.

Molly Hawes is senior climate action and engagement manager, Springer Nature Group.