TERI Press, the publishing arm of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India, recently organised an event, Pathways to Green Publishing: a stakeholders' dialogue on ecological and sustainable publishing practices. The event emphasised on the role that the publishing industry can play in going green to save the environment. It brought together stakeholders involved in the process of publishing, including paper manufacturers and printers, on a common platform to discuss the environmental issues plaguing the publishing industry as a whole.
The highlight of the conference was the high level Business Leaders Forum, which saw CEOs from publishing conglomerates such as Pearson, Cengage and Elsevier, as well as printers like Thomson Digital and Gopsons. The discussion focused on the ecological issues facing the industry as a whole and their quest for sustainable solutions.
This year's conference had two special sessions titled 'Educational institutions as drivers of a greener tomorrow' and 'Author Speak'. Teachers and students from various schools participated in the conference to discuss the environmental initiatives that can be taken by educational institutions. The event also focused on 'green business', the economics of sustainability, and the role of the media in bringing about a change. The 'Author Speak' session saw renowned authors talking on best practices that the publishing industry can look into and also about the latest technologies available.
The conference is a culmination of a year-long series of workshops under the Green Publishers' Guild in collaboration with the German Book Office, New Delhi. The first and second workshops addressed issues related to the publishing industry, such as the feasibility of using recycled paper and management of hazardous wastes in the printing industry. The second and third workshops addressed a wider audience with an emphasis on greening office buildings and educational infrastructure.
The 'Green Publishers' Guild is a membership-based body of stakeholders from the paper, printing and publishing industries as well as corporate houses, government institutions, media, and educational and knowledge-based institutions.
