Bookshop.org to offset all book retailers' delivery emissions on Earth Day

Indie-focused online retailer Bookshop.org will mark Earth Day on 22nd April by offsetting all home deliveries of books across the UK for one day, including those of rival sites.

The site will buy the offsets of every UK delivery, including those made by booksellers not currently on Bookshop.org and also those made via other online book buying platforms.

Bookshop's move comes after it achieved carbon neutral certification and the site said it hoped the gesture will encourage others to explore ways the industry can make a difference to its CO² emissions. Its certification, made through Carbon Neutral Britain, means every single book delivery made through Bookshop.org in the UK is now carbon neutral. This comes at no extra cost to customers or booksellers and will be entirely funded by Bookshop.org.

Research conducted by Carbon Neutral Britain revealed that each book sold through Bookshop.org contributed 130g of CO² to the company’s carbon footprint, over one year of operation.

Nicole Vanderbilt, m.d. at Bookshop UK, said: “Bookshop.org believes businesses can be a force for good, and we are excited to play our own small part in the fight against climate change. Our own carbon footprint as a digital business is small, but we felt it was important to offset the impact of the home deliveries of books which is the main contributor to our CO² emissions.

“While there is so much still to be done across the industry, offsetting our carbon emissions is a simple, affordable way for us to make a difference and contribute on behalf of the independent bookshops and affiliates who have supported us from the beginning.

“It’s vital that the conversations we are having continue - we are proud to be leading the way with our Earth Day activity and into the future."

By offsetting its carbon emissions, Bookshop.org is supporting projects including British Woodland Creation, which supports tree planting projects in Northern England and Scotland, and the Burgos Wind Project in the Philippines.

James Poynter, director at Carbon Neutral Britain, added: “Carbon Neutral Britain is proud to be partners with Bookshop UK, to help identify and offset their environmental impact for 2021 and beyond.

He added: “Carbon offsetting is a simple and affordable way to reverse your impact on climate change for emissions that cannot be removed completely - and in the case of Bookshop UK and online retailers, deliveries contribute a significant amount to their total carbon footprint.”

“By offsetting not just their own carbon footprint, but those across the whole of the UK’s book retail industry is a fantastic achievement, which we hope will inspire others into environmental action."