The PPA Carbon Calculator, which is available for free to all PPA members, allows publishers to calculate the carbon footprint of a title and to understand the impact of each part of the magazine production process.
Sally Cartwright, Director at Large at Hello Magazine, will be presenting the PPA Carbon Calculator during the Sustainability in Practice breakout session on Tuesday 5 May. Sally will be joined by Dr Steve Howard, CEO, The Climate Group and the session will be chaired by Peter Phippen, Managing Director, BBC Magazines & Chairman, PPA.
The PPA Carbon Calculator has been in development for more than two years with PPA’s Carbon Footprint Working Group, chaired by Colette Mahon (pictured), Commercial Production Manager for Redwood.
The tool is based upon analysis from Edge in collaboration with industry partners BPIF, The Paper Profile Secretariat, Menzies and Polestar.
PPA Carbon Calculator is accessed through a “switchboard” which allows the user to build up the profile of their publication and calculate their carbon footprint. The results are then presented both as the total carbon footprint of a title and also by copy.
All of the supply chain stages for a magazine including the production of raw materials, printing, finishing and supply and distribution have been included in the carbon calculator.
The baseline data and systems behind the calculator have been externally reviewed by the internationally renowned consultancy, the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM).
The project will be continually maintained and enhanced enabling it to respond to user requirements and sector-wide developments.
PPA claims to be the first trade association to allow its publisher members to calculate the carbon footprint of individual titles and to understand the impact of each part of the production process.
Jonathan Shephard, CEO PPA said: “Environmental concerns and sustainability are close to the heart of magazine publishers. The PPA carbon footprint calculator uses complex systems to give publishers a classically simple result, which they can apply to their business. In environmental issues, as well as in brilliant and diverse content, UK magazine publishing is the pace-setter.”
Colette Mahon said: “The calculator is a user-friendly management tool which will allow publishers to measure, target and reduce the impact of their publishing activities. When also incorporated into an environmental management system such as ISO 14001, there is a real opportunity for continuous improvement across the supply chain.”
