We are excited to share that the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA), with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and guidance from New Society Publishers and ECW Press, has launched a new feature in the Creative Green Tools Canada (CG Tools)— the Publishing Tool.
What is the new Publishing Tool?
The “Publishing” footprint tool is a new addition to CG Tools designed to simplify the process of estimating the carbon footprint of book runs.
What can it measure?
The Publishing Tool tracks:
- Production materials (paper, cover stock)
- Transportation emissions (from production to distribution)
It also supports the input of custom emissions data received from a lifecycle footprint analysis (LCA), to keep everything in one place.
How does it support your publishing goals?
With the Publishing Tool, users can:
- Compare the carbon footprint of different scenarios associated with your choices of materials, and different types of transportation for production and distribution.
- Explore other footprinting options within the CG Tools to test the impact of your book tours and office operations.
How was the tool developed?
The new publishing footprint option in the CG Tools is a simplified version of the life cycle analysis (LCA) found in The Book Carbon Footprint Calculator 1.0, a detailed lifecycle analysis tool created through a collaboration between New Society Publishers and ECW Press.
The CSPA acknowledges the invaluable contributions of Jen Knoch from ECW Press and EJ Hurst from New Society Publishers, who have supported the development of this new tool as part of our advisory committee since January 2024. Their expertise and guidance have helped shape the Publishing Tool into a user-friendly resource that stays true to its core purpose of tracking, while also making it more accessible for publishers.
Ready to get started?
You’ll need basic information like:
- Book size and paper details
- Transportation distances and methods
Starting February 3rd, you can access the publishing tool in 3 steps:
- Create or log in to your CG Tools account.
- Create a new project.
- Select “Publishing” as the area you want to track.