“The Economist ran its first climate cover in 1989. The world was waking up to the risks of rising temperatures. Several months earlier James Hanson, a NASA scientist, had warned Congress that ‘the greenhouse effect has been detected and is changing our climate now.’ Since then, we have been vocal about the dangers of climate change, from the risks of rising seas to the ominous possibility of a world that hurtles past its target of net-zero emissions.
The Economist’s climate issue, published in September 2019, marked a turning point in the Group’s sustainability strategy. We wrote about climate in every article to highlight that it's not just a scientific, economics, or financial issue, it is a human rights issue. We even wrote an obituary for a glacier that had been declared dead in Iceland. We wanted to show that climate change touches everything that we write about. It was then that our editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, asked us to measure our own footprint because we cannot write about it, ask our audience to consider climate change, and act on it when we are not doing anything ourselves. That was the start of our sustainability journey as an organisation.
Publishers can’t solve climate and biodiversity crises alone. Emily Jackson, Senior Vice President of Sustainability at The Economist Group sees a positive shift in how businesses are now collaborating.
Climate change touches everything we write about.
For 180 years, we have spoken to our readers with one voice—a reflection of our rigorous debate, rich collaboration and liberal values. The Economist offers a simple proposition, increasingly rare in modern media: truly global, fiercely independent journalism. In a fracturing world, we make sense of what matters through expert reporting and analysis, delivered across print, our app, podcasts and more. Our weekly print edition remains at the heart of what we do, complemented by our app, podcasts and newsletters. ‘Cover Story’, our most popular newsletter, takes readers behind the scenes of our cover designs each week. While we continue to expand digitally, print remains an anchor of our business. Half a million subscribers receive the print edition by post each week, alongside 42,000 newsstand sales. Reader surveys and focus groups consistently highlight our core appeal: global news and analysis backed by rigour, authority and independence. Many of our most loyal, long-standing subscribers choose print, reinforcing its enduring value even as we invest in digital and audio innovation.
With our paper product, it is not only about sustainability, but the paper has to be of high quality.
With our paper product, it must be sustainable and of high quality. The paper needs to deliver the print finish and appearance we and our readers expect. As a time-sensitive news weekly, the paper must run smoothly through the presses, as our schedule cannot accommodate delays due to paper defects. And of course, it is essential that the paper is made from wood sourced from responsibly managed and accredited forests, certified by the FSC or PEFC, and our suppliers actively manage and protect biodiversity and nature.
It is essential that the paper we use is made from wood that has been sourced from responsibly managed and accredited forests.
Forests around the world are struggling. Much of the paper we use comes from forests in Scandinavia, where climate change is expected to raise temperatures by three or four degrees. Without adaptation to climate risks, companies risk not having a product to use. As a publisher, The Economist depends on its supply chain partners to help reduce environmental impact and manage these risks. The biggest change we have seen is greater collaboration among businesses to tackle these challenges together.
We believe in defending the press freedom and access to independent journalism.
We believe independent journalism is crucial for democracies and democratic institutions. We believe in defending press freedoms, and access to independent journalism. In September, we published a remarkable letter from a former American hostage in Iran. He was held in Evin prison and describes how illicit copies of The Economist kept him and his fellow prisoners going. September 18th marks the first anniversary of his release after eight years in Evin. He described the newspaper as an unexpected beacon of hope, which is both moving–and motivating.
In September, we published a remarkable letter from a former American hostage in Iran. He was held in Evin prison and describes how illicit copies of The Economist him and his fellow prisoners going.
We live in a hyper digital world, yet many readers still seek a lean-back offline experience. From my perspective, what I like about newspapers is the serendipity of them. You read things you didn't expect to read when you opened the newspaper. Online, you often know what you'll read, as you visit the same sections or algorithm suggest articles based on your profile. I think paper offers something digital doesn’t – you can browse through it and find something unexpected.
As told for Daniela Walker
Photos by: Ossi Piispanen
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