Sustainability Publishing House Leads in Word & Actions

New Society Publishers calls itself “the activist publisher,” publishing books that “contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society.”

In 1997, the British Columbia – based company won an Ethics in Action Award sponsored by Canadian Businesses for Social Responsibility. Look at how they walk their talk:

* staff gets six weeks paid vacation annually!
* their office paper consists of 80% recycled content: 60% post consumer fiber, 80% Processed Chlorine Free, 20% Totally Chlorine Free, and they purchase in bulk.

In July 2001, when they launched Guy Dauncey’s book, Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change, they committed to printing all of their books on 100% post-consumer recycled or tree-free paper. The paper is acid-free, chlorine-free, and they use vegetable-based inks for printing.

23 other Canadian and American book publishers are now following in New Society’s footsteps, including Raincoast, Canadian publishers of Harry Potter. Raincoast printed more than 1.5 million books last year. New Society works with Friesens Printing of Manitoba, and New Leaf Paper, in San Francisco.

Some of their recent releases relevant to sustainable business are:

— The Sustainability Advantage: Seven Business Case Benefits of Triple Bottom Line, by Bob Willard
— The Natural Step Story: Seeding a Quiet Revolution, by Karl-Henrik Robert (founder of TNS)
— Dancing with the Tiger: Learning Sustainability Step by Natural Step, by Brian Nattrass and Mary Altomare
— Tools for Environmental Management: A Practical Introduction & Guide, by Dixon Thompson

www.newsociety.com

There is a related effort for magazine publishers: [sorry this link is no longer available]