Emerald Publishing has released its Responsible Publishing Report 2025, summarizing actions and outcomes during 2025 related to academic freedom, inclusion, sustainability, and access to knowledge. The report is presented within the organization’s Planet, People, and Prosperity (3Ps) framework. Under Planet, Emerald reports that its Leeds headquarters operates using 100% renewable energy and that efforts have focused on understanding and reducing emissions and improving recycling. The report also states that lower-impact design principles were integrated into the Emerald Insight platform.
Under People, Emerald reports recognition in The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality for a second consecutive year and inclusion among the Global Top 100 Inspiring Workplaces. The report identifies continued focus on flexible working, employee well-being, and the development of an inclusive workplace culture.
Under Prosperity, the report outlines community partnerships and fundraising activities, including raising more than £22,000 for BookTrust and ongoing work with organizations such as Chapter One, BookTrust, and Zarach to support access to reading and learning.
The report identifies Emerald’s involvement in the #DefendResearch initiative as a key activity in 2025. The initiative was created in response to concerns about censorship and restrictions on research topics. Emerald became the first publisher to sign the #DefendResearch declaration. Actions associated with this initiative include issuing a publisher’s note across all 313 journals, launching a dedicated web page, partnering with the EveryLibrary Institute to provide webinars for academic librarians in the United States, and organizing a focused week of activity in May.
The report also describes efforts to expand open access participation. These include Emerald’s Green open access route, which allows authors of journal articles and book chapters to make their work openly available immediately upon publication without payment or embargo, and Emerald Open Lab, which examines sustainable open access models in collaboration with external stakeholders.
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