 As a
stakeholder concerned with improving the environmental and
social impacts of book production, we support and formally
endorse the goals below and as defined in the attached
guidelines for implementation. In working to advance these
goals, we are seeking to balance material and economic needs
with the values of social responsibility and accountability.
Industry Goals
The common goals below address issues which we, as concerned
stakeholders, will work to advance within our sphere of
influence through advancement of the following:
Addressing Global Warming Through the Use of Recycled Fiber
and Renewable Energy
- Shifting the book industry's collective average use of
recycled fiber from an estimated 5% recycled average at
present to a 30% recycled industry average by 2012 (a majority
to be postconsumer).
Supporting the use of additional non-wood recovered fibers.
- Supporting the growth of renewable energy (i.e. wind)
through the use of paper manufactured with wind and other
forms of renewable energy and efforts to offset carbon impacts
associated with book production.
Protecting Endangered and Highest Value Forests
- Understanding fiber origin and eliminating the use of
fiber originating from forest areas which are specifically
identified as High Conservation Value or Endangered Forests
within regions that include but are not limited to: the
Canadian Boreal Forest, the Cumberland Plateau in the
Southeastern United States, designated roadless areas within
U.S. National Forests, and global temperate and tropical
rainforests in North America, Indonesia, Latin America, and
Russia.
Supporting Best Practices in Forest Management
- Shifting to book industry’s collective average use of
paper certified by the Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC) or equivalent certification system to 20% by
2012.
- Continuing forest management certification that protects
Endangered Forests, has integrity, prevents illegal logging,
maintains vital ecosystem functioning, biodiversity, and
social values.
- Incorporating the concerns of indigenous and local
communities adequately into forestry standards, plans, and
assessments.
- Eliminating the use of fiber derived from the conversion
of natural forests to plantations-only using plantation wood
if it was in existence prior to 2006 or if it is part of a
regional forest conservation plan.
- Supporting multi-stakeholder conservation plans such as
the Boreal Conservation Framework.
Reducing Production Impacts
- Continuing the advancement of best practices in pollution
prevention, and energy and water conservation.
- Increasing the use of low VOC (<2%) soy-based inks and
least toxic materials and processes available (such as caustic
soda produced without mercury and bleaching without the use of
chlorine or its derivatives.)
Recycling and Reducing Consumption
- Implementing strategies which will foster improved
efficiency and continued reductions in paper
consumption-including reduced basis weights, the minimization
of returns and improved recycling.
Human Rights
- Supporting human rights for indigenous and local
communities through the use of virgin papers that are FSC
certified and/or require consensus based solutions to disputes
in the areas from which raw materials originate.
- Supporting fair wages and working conditions for laborers
involved in overseas book production.
Transparency
- Tracking progress towards meeting the above goals and
providing this information to designated agencies or
organizations that are involved with tracking industry shifts.
Revised September 2007 |
