At BookNet Canada, we’re committed to environmental sustainability. In 2020, we set environmental sustainability as a strategic focus for both our organization and for our projects and services. Since then we've been working on making our own business more environmentally sustainable as well as partnering with organizations such as the Green Book Alliance, and promoting resources to help make the book supply chain more sustainable like the Sustainable Publishing Tools — two free-to-use carbon calculators designed specifically for publishing industry professionals: The Book Carbon Footprint Calculator and The Publisher’s Carbon Footprint Calculator.
The work to make our own organization more environmentally sustainable began with looking at our operations and assessing where we could make quick changes. Part of this initial step was to measure our carbon footprint through a Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory. To learn about the what, why, and how of greenhouse gas audits, including recommendations for what steps to take once the audit is done, read this blog post.
In total, BookNet's GHG emissions in 2024 amounted to 23.89 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). Overall, BookNet’s total GHG emission increased by 33% in 2024 compared to the 8.64 tCO2e in the 2023 GHG Inventory. This is largely due to the resumption of business travel activities but our data storage was also up over 2023. However, BookNet’s GHG emissions continue to remain lower in comparison to pre-COVID levels largely due to a reduction in data stored on servers across North America since 2020 as well as the closure of the BookNet offices.
BookNet was assessed to not have any Scope 1 or 2 GHG emissions during the 2024 reporting period due to the closure of our previously leased office space. Other areas that were taken into consideration for the audit were:
Computer
Servers and Storage
Travel
Business travel
Employee commuting
Shipping
Printing and production
Events
During the 2021 and 2022 reporting periods, BookNet reported a reduction in Scope 3 emissions in comparison to the 2020 reporting period, mainly because of the complete elimination of business travel due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the 2023 and 2024 reporting periods, business travel was reintroduced into the scope of BookNet’s GHG emissions inventory. This change was driven by the resumption of travel activities, with six flights taken in 2023 and a full return to pre-covid travel levels in 2024 with 16 flights and 37 occupied hotel rooms. BookNet’s emissions from air travel increased by 80% in 2024 from 2023.
The graph below shows the breakdown of BookNet’s GHG emissions over the last five years.
BookNet is committed to reducing our GHG emissions through changes in our operations. We’re currently looking at our tech stack and working with suppliers, old and new, to investigate options that would lower our carbon footprint. We have recently contracted with a new, domestic server supplier who powers their facilities with renewable energy. Once the transition to this new supplier for new and old servers is complete, we expect to see a reduction in our footprint in the results of the 2026 or 2027 audit, pending completion of project timelines.
However, for those emissions we cannot eliminate, BookNet has decided to offset the carbon. With the help of Carbonzero, we’re investing in projects that permanently reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As an organization, we’ve chosen to support the Ontario Greenhouse Biomass to Energy Project and the Smart Soil Carbon Project to offset our 2024 emissions.
BookNet’s 2024 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.