Springer Nature plants 10,000 trees to celebrate Open Access milestone

Springer Nature will fund the planting of 10,000 trees – one for every employee — over the next year in north-east India's Khasi Hills to celebrate becoming the first company to publish one million Open Access articles.

The academic publisher announced it had reached the Open Access milestone last week. Its tree commitment, chosen to “reflect the importance of sustainability” to the research and education publisher, will be delivered in partnership with carbon consultants C Level and the Synjuk federation of 10 indigenous Khasi communities. The Synjuk has already engaged 84 villages within a successful project certified by Plan Vivo, the leading standard for community projects that seek to restore and protect ecosystems. 

“Open Access and open research are key to Springer Nature’s objectives: to facilitate greater access to knowledge and learning, which are essential in tackling global challenges and achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals," the publisher said. “In recognition of reaching the important OA milestone, the company has chosen to invest directly in a project working to improve biodiversity, address localised impacts of climate change and build sustainable communities.”  

The cloud forests of Meghalaya, home to the Khasi people, are under threat from rapid deforestation, consequently endangering tree species, household livelihoods and releasing substantial quantities of carbon. Indigenous tree species, grown in community tree-seedling nurseries run by local women, will be planted as a special initiative within a larger project in the Khasi Hills.

Frank Vrancken Peeters, c.e.o. of Springer Nature (pictured), said: “Reaching the important milestone of one million Open Access articles is testament to the hard work of everyone across our business who has put in so much effort to bring us this far and so we are delighted to plant a tree for each of our approximately 10,000 staff in recognition of their work and our collective ambition to create a more sustainable future. Around 20% of our workforce are based in India, so we are delighted to support a project in such a beautiful part of the country.”