Sustainable production at Bonnier Books: Taking a proactive approach

At Bonnier Books, sustainability is integrated into key areas of our operations, including sourcing, production, and supplier engagement, supported by defined targets and policies. Our approach to production is comprehensive and considers key stages of the book lifecycle, including material sourcing, printing, and end-of-life considerations.

Setting ambitious goals and achieving results

We are pleased to see significant progress in our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint. By 2023, we had already surpassed our initial target of a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, achieving a 29 percent reduction compared with our 2019 base year, and we have continued this positive trend. As a result, we exceeded our first Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) target, achieving a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of more than 25 percent two years ahead of the 2025 deadline. Building on this success, we have set even more ambitious goals, all measured against our 2019 baseline:

  • Reduce GHG emissions by 55 percent (Scope 1 & 2) and 50 percent (Scope 3) by 2030.
  • Achieve a 90 percent GHG emission reduction by 2040, becoming a net-zero company.

Read more about Bonnier Books’ Climate Strategy and our latest results in our Annual Review.

Driving responsibility in our supply chain

Sustainability starts with our supply chain. We require our printing suppliers to adhere to our group-wide production policy and the Book Chain Project’s Code of Conduct, with compliance monitored through regular assessments. These guidelines ensure compliance with high standards for working conditions, human rights and environmental practices.

Our EVA (Evaluate, Validate, Approve) Framework enables us to measure supplier performance in key areas such as environmental impact, material sourcing and labour rights. This systematic approach not only tracks improvements over time but also allows us to provide actionable feedback to suppliers, driving collective progress.

Pioneering innovations in sustainable materials

We’re proud to lead the way in developing innovative materials with reduced environmental impact:

In 2020, we pledged that 95 percent of all paper used in our books would come from approved sources by 2025, such as FSC, PEFC and Nordic Swan-certified materials. This target was reached already in 2022 and functions since then as annual benchmark.

Responsible production and design efficiency

We continuously improve production methods to optimise sustainability:

  • Standardised book formats minimise material waste during printing, shorten lead times and have a significant impact on transport-related emissions.
  • Partnering with agreement printers is a great way to reduce our footprint, as consolidated volumes ensure energy and material efficiency, backed by the leverage of substantial order volumes and strategic collaboration.
  • We prioritise low-impact materials, such as low-GHG-emission paper qualities, to reduce our environmental impact.

At Bonnier Books, we define a “sustainable” product as one that has little or no negative impact on the environment before, during and after production, and is manufactured in harmony with human and labour rights. A sustainable product not only avoids (and mitigates) negative impacts but also promotes positive impacts. Sustainability doesn’t always refer to a binary categorisation (‘good’, ‘bad’), but often means striking a balance. Trade-offs may remove a positive impact in one area while creating a new positive impact elsewhere. Responsible Production is a necessary dimension of a product’s lifecycle, from design to end-of-life.

Walking that extra mile takes us further

Our agreement suppliers account for the majority of our production volumes. For these key strategic partners (representing at least 75 percent of our print production volumes), we provide annual supplier-specific GHG emission reports and biennial EVA reports that serve as comprehensive benchmarks with actionable plans. “EVA” refers to our own-developed framework of assessing the overall sustainability performance of our suppliers; GHG reports take a deeper dive into the greenhouse gas emission performance. By doing so, we provide tangible insights and opportunities for progress that individual printers could not always achieve on their own.

This means that the benefits of being a Bonnier Books agreement supplier go beyond order volumes. Our agreement suppliers also receive valuable support in their ongoing efforts to reduce their environmental footprint – enhancing both their sustainability performance and their competitiveness. Being a Bonnier Books agreement supplier is not just a mark of distinction or commitment; it also opens new doors, driven by sustainability milestones.

This bilateral approach has, for example, resulted in significantly higher annual growth in EVA scores compared to the average spot suppliers, while rapidly reducing the GHG emission intensity.

As proud as we are of being one of the first publishing groups to commit to the SBTi, we are equally proud that already in 2024, 40% of the printed books were produced by suppliers committed to the SBTi.

We collaborate and drive improvement in its true essence, and we remain fully committed to actively shaping a sustainable future for, and with, our industry.