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Book Industry Group Wants to Cut Emissions 20 Percent by 2020, 80 Percent by 2050

The Book Industry Environmental Council said today that it has set goals of cutting the U.S. book industry's greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020 -- and slashing them 80 percent by 2050.

The Book Industry Environmental Council said today that it has set goals of cutting the U.S. book industry's greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020 -- and slashing them 80 percent by 2050.

In announcing the ambitious targets, the council pointed to a research report last year that found the industry in the U.S. has a climate impact equivalent to 12.4 million metric tons of carbon.

By achieving a 20 percent reduction, the council said, the book industry could knock that figure back by 2.5 million metric tons a year -- an amount roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of about 450,000 cars.

The production, acquisition and use of paper are responsible for 65 percent of the U.S. book industry's carbon footprint. An estimated 30 million trees -- 1,153 times the number of trees in New York City's Central Park -- are used each year to make the books that are sold in the country, according to the Green Press Initiative, which coordinates the Book Industry Environmental Council.

Increasing the use of recycled paper, ramping up the efficient use of all paper products, reducing returns and diverting books from landfills are among the steps that companies can take to reach the emissions goals, the council said.

The council is made up of representatives for more than 40 publishers, printers, mills and other stakeholder companies that together account for about 60 percent of the market share.

 Image by SXC user garytamin

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