The Sixth Sustainability Summit, expertly led by Antje Watermann of UN Publications, opened this year with a keynote by the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Melissa Fleming. Fleming emphasised the importance of publishing and books, as well as their vital role in combating mis- and disinformation. 

During the Summit, the Pledge for Gender Equality in Publishing was launched. This new initiative calls on publishers worldwide to take concrete actions to advance gender equality within the publishing industry and through the books and stories they provide to readers. The initiative was launched by the EU 4 Gender Equality Programme and the International Publishers Association. IPA President Gvantsa Jobava discussed the significance of cultural industries in achieving gender equality. She highlighted the five key points on which the pledge is based: (i) leadership, (ii) safe workplaces, (iii) advancing equality across the publishing ecosystem, (iv) amplifying women’s voices and challenging gender stereotypes, and (v) turning commitment into action (read more here). The Frankfurt Book Fair also featured several events on women in publishing, organized by both UN Women and PublisHer, an initiative founded by former IPA President Bodour Al Qasimi.

The Summit then saw Laurène Eichner of the Syndicat national de l’edition (SNE), presenting Responsible Chapters, a program launched for sustainable publishing, based on tools to measure, analyse, and take action on ecological challenges and reduce carbon emissions (read more here). She also explained complementary projects to tackle environmental issues in the publishing industry, such as a carbon footprint calculator, an e-learning program to raise awareness of editorial choices, manufacturing, marketing, and book distribution, and a life-cycle assessment that goes beyond the production of the book and takes into account the whole life of a book. 

The summit was also the occasion to launch a new Greek SDG Book Club and here from Initiative 18 – an organisation seeking to secure an 18th SDG dedicated to fair and sustainable media. 

The IPA also held a meeting of its Inclusive Publishing and Literacy Committee where updates on the Committee’s work around literacy, accessibility, diversity and sustainability were presented, and where different countries were able to report on local developments in these areas. 

All IPA members are welcome to present delegates for the Inclusive Publishing and Literacy Committee. Please contact the IPA secretariat if interested.

Photo Credit: IPA