IOP (IOPP)has joined DIMPACT, acollaborative projectthathelpsparticipantsfrom the digital media and publishing industriesto map andmanagetheirdigital carbon footprints.
Developed by computer scientists at the University of Bristol, and facilitated by sustainability expertsCarnstone, DIMPACT is backed by some of the world’s most innovative media companies.The DIMPACT toolenablesthegreenhouse gasemissions (GHG) associated with serving digital content – downstream from the point of content production right through to the end user.
Calculating the carbonemissions associated withdigitalcontenthashistoricallybeen a difficult undertakingdue to the constantly changingnatureof the industry.Having access to DIMPACT’sinnovative toolwill take thecomplexity out of measuringthecarbon emissions ofIOPP’sdigital products and services.Liz Martin, head of production, and sustainability lead at IOP said:“We’redetermined todo everything we can toreduce the carbon impact ofour activitieswhich meanshaving a comprehensiveunderstanding ofthe size of our footprint andthe key contributors.DIMPACT’sinnovative toolwill make a significant differenceto the accuracy of our calculationsandfocus our effortstowards reducingthe environmental impact of thecontentwe publish.”
Glynn Roberts,director atCarnstoneand convener of DIMPACT said: “The energy that it takes to run digital services is often overlooked – it’s not as obvious as, say, travelling by car or plane. So, our ambition when we launched DIMPACT was to raise awareness and deliver a solution that could map and track the amount of GHG that comes from the production of digital content. We’re delighted that organisations such as IOP take their responsibility towards reducing their carbon footprint so seriously, and we look forward to hearing more about the difference they will make using our tool.”
Signing up to DIMPACTis part of IOPP’scommitmenttodeveloping sustainable practices.In May this year,itjoined the SDG Publishers Compact – a pledge which sees publishers work together to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. IOPP also recentlylauncheditsSustainability Collection,an easy-to-navigateonline sitewhichbrings togetherpeer reviewed published researchthat addresses some of the world’s most critical issues.
About DIMPACT
DIMPACT is a pioneering initiative byCarnstonePartners, convening leading media companies along with researchers from the University of Bristol, to help the digital media industry map and manage its carbon impacts. Together,partnersdeveloped a robust methodology and measurement tool thathelpsto better understand ‘downstream’ carbon impacts, right through to the end-user.