Reducing the worst effects of climate change is something that needs to be addressed at every level of society, including scholarly publishing. Working to combat the climate crisis fits directly into the missions and goals of the organizations that those in scholarly publishing represent. It can contribute to improved human and animal health, as well as economic and political stability. The Scholarly Kitchen brought this interesting information to our attention in their article, “Call for Carbon Neutrality in Scholarly Publishing.”
Recognition of the fact that climate change is a social justice and civil rights issue, not just an environmental issue, has led to a growing movement for climate justice. Carbon neutrality is a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal or by eliminating emissions from society. Although the term carbon neutral is used, a carbon footprint also includes other greenhouse gases, measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence. The term climate-neutral reflects the broader inclusiveness of other greenhouse gases in climate change, even if CO2 is the most abundant.
To achieve this, organizations must consciously commit to reduce carbon emissions to levels that will keep average global temperature increases below 1.5°C per year. If the knowledge economy truly supports scientific, evidence-based solutions, all evidence points to reducing carbon emissions as an operational responsibility essential to achieving other organizational goals. This goal must be explicitly included in strategic planning.
Melody K. Smith
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