In 2025, environmental publishing has moved firmly into the mainstream. Climate narratives are gaining cultural traction, and sustainability is influencing everything from acquisitions to logistics. Let’s take a closer look at how the industry is rising to meet the moment.
Long seen as a subgenre of speculative fiction, climate fiction is now mainstream, with the launch of the Climate Fiction Prize this year. And So I Roar by Abimbola "Abi" Daré claimed the prize, the sequel to The Girl With the Louding Voice. Praised for its ability to ground large-scale environmental issues in human experience, And So I Roar follows the fourteen-year-old Adunni from her life in Lagos, where she is excited to finally enrol in school, to her home village, where she is summoned to face charges for events that are in fact caused by climate change.
While the genre used to focus on catastrophe, publishers and readers are increasingly moving towards “eco-hope” narratives, stories that envision positive environmental futures and resilience, not just collapse. Anthologies like Not Too Late, edited by Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua, have brought together fiction, essays, and calls to action. Even larger trade publishers are beginning to look beyond collapse narratives, commissioning titles that explore rewilding and green infrastructure. This tonal shift is not about softening the truth of the crisis, but about offering readers a sense of agency.
While stories shape how we think about climate change, the materials and methods used to produce those stories are just as critical.
On the production side, many publishers are embracing the UN’s Sustainability Develoment Goals (SDG) Compact. Launched in 2020 by the UN and IPA, the SDG Publishers Compact outlines 10 actions publishers can take to support the UN’s 2030 goals. Signatories aspire to develop sustainable practices and publish content that inspires sustainable actions.
Between July 2022 and March 2025, the number of signatories to the Compact has increased significantly. The global growth ranges from 68% in Europe to 127% in Asia and the Pacific. The introduction of initiatives that support the SDGs, such as the United Nations Book Club, promote these goals globally through sustainable reading resources, with a particular focus on ensuring responsible production and consumption.
While the SDGs offer a framework, immediate action is still needed to improve production workflows and supply chain emissions. So far in 2025, book production has embraced new materials for printing. One notable example is the children’s book Little Coffee Cup’s Big Surprise, a heartwarming tale that invites young readers on a journey of transformation, recycling, and environmental awareness. The book was printed using paper created through CupCycling, a process where used cups are collected and up-cycled into high-quality paper. This blend of storytelling and sustainability makes Little Coffee Cup’s Big Surprise both a narrative and a practical example of positive environmental action.
To become more sustainable, publishers must first understand their current environmental impact. This forms the basis for identifying opportunities to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.
On 13th February 2025, ECW Press from Canada and New Society Publishers hosted Sustainable Publishing Tools: Calculating Your Carbon Output, an interactive training session designed to equip publishers with practical tools for measuring and reducing their environmental impact.
Although the sustainability of digital publishing is less visible, best practices are continually emerging:
Beyond production, another key question is who has access to environmental knowledge –and how freely that information circulates.
As the climate crisis intensifies, Open Access (OA) publishing is becoming essential for sharing environmental research quickly and equitably. Springer Nature recently announced that over 50% of its articles are now OA, with climate and sustainability research among its most-read categories. Other major publishers, including Frontiers and Taylor & Francis, have expanded their OA offerings through institutional funding models.
By removing paywalls, Open Access empowers communities most affected by climate change to access and act on critical research. Publishers are also using OA to highlight underrepresented voices – through special issues focused on Indigenous knowledge, Global South adaptation strategies, and community-led solutions.
While article processing charges (APCs) still pose barriers, OA is now a defining feature of environmental publishing, enabling wider collaboration and global climate literacy.
Looking ahead, the industry is exploring new ways to deepen its environmental commitments and adapt to a rapidly changing world.
With the climate crisis progressing at an unprecedented rate, so are the techniques for reducing our carbon footprint. The publishing industry must taker esponsibility for its environmental impact – now and in the future.
While the focus in recent years has been on improving print practices, digital sustainability is becoming more prominent. An increase in global print-on-demand services, paired with localised printing, is likely to be key in reducing supply chain emissions.
Better forecasting of book sales and print runs, as well as reducing the impact of long-haul distribution, will also help the industry meet the SDG goals by 2030.
Redesigning backlist books through an environmental lens is becoming standard practice, removing the need to prioritise aesthetics over sustainability. The use of vegetable- and soy-based inks, as well as cotton-based and PaperWise paper (made from agricultural waste and non-edible plant parts), is gaining traction. Repurposing by-products is also becoming a greater priority.
Education will continue to play a powerful role in equipping younger generations with the tools to carry forward a more sustainable publishing industry. Climate-aware fiction and non-fiction, along with ongoing initiatives, will be key to driving the future of large-scale awareness and action.
From climate narratives gaining cultural support to changes in acquisitions and logistics, sustainability has remained at the forefront of industry conversations. While progress has been made, both print and digital publishers must now take more immediate action to reduce their carbon footprint and meet the SDG targets by 2030.
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