Our commitments to the environment

Our Group has been committed to sustainable development for quite some time now and has rolled out concrete initiatives such as responsible paper management and decreased plastic use.

Download the 2024-2025 CSR report

Reducing our carbon footprint

In 2009 Hachette Livre became the first French publishing group to commit to a Scope 3 carbon footprint analysis every three years. In 2021 we analyzed the Group’s consolidated global carbon footprint to determine how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all our businesses and set ambitious targets for 2030. By 2030 the Group aims to reduce its emissions by 30%, in line with the SBTi approach, by reducing overproduction, supplier (paper makers, printers and binders) carbon intensity, and freight emissions and by promoting eco-design practices.

Including environmental impact labels

Since 2012, every book published is labeled with its carbon footprint and a logo detailing paper origin. The individual footprint of each copy takes into consideration the emissions generated from the forest to the distributor’s door.

Combatting deforestation and promoting biodiversity

Securing a supply of recycled or certified paper

Hachette Livre uses paper that is recycled or certified by the recognized labels. They ensure traceability and guarantee that the paper is sourced from sustainably managed forests where biodiversity is thriving.

99%
OF OUR PAPER IS CERTIFIED OR RECYCLED

The Group strives to reduce overproduction

Our publishing houses help to limit overproduction by scaling print runs to meet sales potential and using print-on-demand (POD) technology.

POD technology helps to reduce paper use and the greenhouse gas emissions linked to production, storage and transport. Hachette Livre can print single copies on demand for low-turnover titles (around 50 copies per year) thanks to a partnership with Lightning Source.

Automatic reprinting ensures publishers always have just the right number of copies in stock. Our Ritméo solution uses a predictive algorithm to automate reprinting for low-volume titles (from 20 copies).

Managing unsold books

How we manage unsold books is a major circular economy challenge for the Group. Unsold books are picked up and managed by the distributor. Copies which are in good condition can be put back on the market. Shredded books are recycled by high-performance waste management companies. Scaling production to match sales, reusing books, and relying on short-run printing techniques are more virtuous solutions which Hachette Livre aims to prioritize.

Reducing plastic use to a bare minimum

In 2020 Hachette Livre France developed an action plan for reducing its plastic footprint. Its goal is:

-25%
by 2030

In 2022 the Group rolled out an action plan which focuses on the following areas: reducing plastic use (eliminating non-essential use, eco-design), improving materials sourcing (responsible purchasing, plastic from established circular sources), deploying in-house structures to support this approach (new equipment, involving all professions), and engaging our ecosystem (interprofessional initiatives).

Engaging our employees

We strive to raise awareness among publishers about our environmental values and to involve all of our employees in the process.

Hachette Livre organizes eco-design workshops open to all employees. They aim to launch or accelerate environmental best practices at every stage in the book life cycle: raw materials selection, editorial and manufacturing, transport and distribution, advertising, end of life and recycling. The Group rolled out an in-house eco-challenge in 2022 and 2024, which identified and showcased employees' most virtuous projects, from the development of more responsible products to the implementation of green processes.

Collaborative in-house events

We also train our employees about the challenges of responsible digital technology use. For example, Hachette Livre joined in the “Cyber World Cleanup Day” initiative by organizing a whole “Cyber Cleanup Week”. We also raise awareness among employees about environmental challenges through participation in Climate Fresk, Biodiversity Collage and Digital Collage workshops.