Q&A: Amanda Ridout

What is the thinking behind the Sustainability Industry Forum (SIF)?

The SIF was born out of a feeling across many trade associations and industry bodies that much good work was being done on reducing environmental impacts and tackling the climate challenge within our own silos—but that a forum was needed where we could share information around these projects, collaborate on best practice, reduce duplication of efforts and improve transparency and accountability. To our knowledge it is the first time such a collaborative forum has been convened across all the associations and highlights the seriousness with which the industry is taking the sustainability issue.

How many times have you met since its formation earlier this year?

We decided to set up the forum after a meeting in January 2022—which was convened by the IPG to share their findings around the Book Journeys 1 project ( a data-driven project looking at emissions and waste output around the book supply chain) and to encourage trade-wide adoption of the resultant targets. It became clear that there was a real willingness to collaborate and the first official SIF meeting was convened in May, followed by a second one in July. Our next meeting will be in November.

What have you decided so far?

We agreed that our overarching remit will be the pledges set out in Publishing Declares, and that our practical plans would begin by sharing data and solutions across four key areas: the supply chain; end-of-life treatment of books; paper and printing; and book finishes and raw materials.

What are the quick wins you have identified? We now have a working document sharing detail on all the sustainability projects that the individual associations are undertaking. We are already discussing progress around accreditation badges and carbon calculator development.

What are the longer term objectives?

For the industry to speak as one voice around the issues of climate change; to be seen to be taking practical steps in tackling the challenges; to be able to communicate effectively to all industry stakeholders and to the end consumers, to reassure them of our commitment and action.

There have been a number of attempts over the years to bring the industry together under this kind of banner. What is different here?

The urgency of the climate challenge has focused minds and there is a genuine willingness to co-operate for the greater good. It is a single issue around which we are happy to share information, avoid duplication and ground discussion in practical solutions. We cannot make progress in our existing silos alone.

How will you judge success?

If we genuinely make progress as an industry on practical solutions to tackling the sustainability issues across the areas we identified at our formation. Setting targets, adopting and achieving them. And being able to communicate our progress regularly and effectively as one narrative.