Sustainability Report 2025

A message from our sustainability lead

At IOP Publishing, we are committed to building a more sustainable, diverse and equitable future for the scientific community we serve. Sustainability is embedded into every aspect of our business; from the decisions we make as a publisher to the way we operate as an employer.

Since 2020, we have worked hard to understand our full environmental impact, identify the areas where we can drive real change, and track our progress transparently.

This year, we are proud to report a 36% reduction in carbon emissions as compared with our 2020 baseline, reducing our footprint and ensuring responsible business practices.

Our move to The Distillery in 2022, our new, energy-efficient head office based in Bristol, marked a major milestone in our sustainability journey. Although the transition caused a short-term rise in emissions while we operated two sites and fitted out the new office, the new space is designed for long-term efficiency and overall, a much lower environmental impact.

In parallel, our digital-first publishing strategy continues to deliver substantial emissions savings across the content lifecycle. We are also beginning to see improvements in our supply chain where we actively engage with vendors to support and accelerate their own sustainability journeys.

None of this progress would be possible without the commitment of our colleagues including our Sustainability Taskforce and Champions and the support of our suppliers and trusted partners such as ClimatePartner, and the insights gained from industry initiatives like DIMPACT. Together, we are continuing to transform our operations and contribute to a more sustainable future for research publishing.

Liz Martin, Head of Content Production and Sustainability Lead

Our strategy

At the heart of our drive for greater sustainability lies our environmental policy, which guides how we reduce our impact, aiming to exceed regulatory expectations and embed environmental best practices across our business. It includes commitments to:

• Minimize greenhouse gas emissions across our operations and supply chain.
• Improve energy efficiency in our facilities and adopt renewable energy where possible.
• Reduce waste and promote circular practices, including recycling and responsible resource use.
• Engage suppliers and partners to align with our sustainability standards and report on their environmental performance.
• Continuously monitor and improve our environmental impact through transparent reporting and measurable targets.

These commitments are supported by organizational measures including recycling schemes, sustainable procurement, green transport incentives, energy and water monitoring, and our active Sustainability Taskforce.

Sustainability Taskforce

Aligned with our commitment to Publishing Declares, the Sustainability Taskforce leads our efforts to reduce environmental impact and embed best practices across the business. It is framed around four key areas of focus:

• Carbon emissions reduction
• Supply chain management
• Content and products
• Colleague engagement

As part of the Taskforce, our Carbon Footprint Working Group collects data throughout the year on activities such as energy use, print volumes, travel, waste and employee commuting. This data is processed by ClimatePartner, which applies emission factors, calculates our footprint, and provides analysis of our hotspots and recommendations for reduction. They have also supported us in modelling our net zero trajectory so we can stay on track.

We also participate in DIMPACT, a project driving industry-wide focus on understanding the emissions associated with digital activities. This year, DIMPACT launched Working Groups focused on Academic Publishing and AI, both of which we actively contribute to.

Our Supply Chain Working Group is focused on engaging our suppliers on sustainability. The Group sets the expectation that sustainability is a key focus for us and encourages suppliers to prioritize taking action on their carbon footprint and other environmental activities, as well as collecting primary data for our corporate carbon footprint calculation. 

Movement year on year

Since 2000, we have continuously reduced our carbon footprint year-on-year with 2022 standing out as anomalous due to our move to a new headquarters in Bristol. The office move drove additional expenditure as we had to temporarily operate two office locations simultaneously. However, our new office is significantly more environmentally friendly, designed to reduce energy consumption and support sustainable practices for the long term.

We continue to review our estate footprint based on business needs, ensuring our spaces align with our sustainability goals. We have further reduced our impact by closing our U.S. office where we transitioned to a fully remote model.

Our 2024 carbon footprint was 2172 tCO₂e, an 8% reduction from 2023 and a 36% drop compared to our 2020 baseline. This progress reflects our ongoing commitment to sustainability and the impact of the choices we have made across the business.

Print was a major source of emissions in our operations, stemming from material use and logistics. By adopting a digital-first publishing approach, we eliminated journal print subscriptions and transitioned international IOP members to Physics World digital access. This change significantly reduced carbon emissions tied to physical product production and decreased our use of Earth’s resources. It also removes the need to ship physical copies to consumers and customers. Notably, air freight, a key contributor to distribution emissions, has been nearly eliminated, dropping from 305 tCO₂e in 2022 to almost zero.

In 2024 alone, this change reduced emissions by nearly 170 tCO₂e, equivalent to almost 8% of our total footprint, demonstrating how strategic decisions and digital innovation can deliver substantial environmental benefits.

Travel policy for a greener future

To reduce emissions from business travel, we have introduced a policy that limits trips to essential travel only and prioritizes sustainable options such as choosing trains over flights. We have also introduced a range of green travel initiatives—including cycling support, electric pool bikes, and personalized travel planning to help us lower emissions associated with employee commuting.

The Distillery

Moving our headquarters to The Distillery in Bristol was a major step in reducing our carbon emissions in the long term. While the transition temporarily increased emissions as we operated two offices simultaneously, the new space has a much lower environmental impact as it is highly energy-efficient and powered by clean energy. This has resulted in a reduction of over 80% in our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions since 2020.

Water usage

Our commitment to sustainability extends across all our workplaces—not just our new head office. We have implemented water-saving measures in every office, including efficient dishwashers, flow restrictors on taps, and water-saving systems in all toilets. In addition, leak detection systems are in place to prevent unnecessary waste and ensure responsible water use.

Waste management

Our waste strategy prioritizes recycling and energy recovery. We recycle electronics and lighting in compliance with WEEE regulations, compost food waste, and recycle materials such as paper, metal, cardboard, plastic, ink cartridges, batteries and glass. Non-recyclables are sent to an energy recovery facility, and our café aims for zero waste by redistributing unsold food. We even reused meeting room doors when we moved offices.

Consumables

We actively avoid single-use plastics and choose sustainable alternatives for office supplies. Staff passes are printed on recycled eco cards, coffee is served in reusable Huskie cups, and all printer paper is 100% recycled and FSC-approved. We also source plastic-free tea bags, recyclable Jiffy bags and other environmentally friendly products.

Cleaning

Our cleaning practices meet ISO14001 standards and use non-polluting, low-impact chemicals. We provide FSC-certified toilet paper, biodegradable soap and non-aerosol air fresheners. Sanitary waste is sent to waste-to-energy plants and we work with local suppliers for window and carpet cleaning. Even pest control is chemical-free, using natural methods to maintain a healthy environment.

ISO 14001 certification

In 2024, we achieved ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems certification, demonstrating that we have robust, clearly defined environmental processes in place. This recognition supports our customers’ and partners’ expectations, and ensures we continue to improve resource efficiency and reduce environmental impact across all business areas.

IOP for Environmental Change

Launched in 2022, the IOP for Environmental Change campaign helps colleagues consider the environmental impact of both our organisation and individual actions. It raises awareness of how we can tackle the climate crisis, featuring world-leading environmentalists and activists as guest speakers.

Key topics and speakers have included:

• Laura Young, known as ‘Waste Less Laura’, about how to live with less waste.
• Climate change expert Mark Maslin, about the science and politics of climate change.
• Jojo Mehta, regular speaker at United Nations summits, about Stop Ecocide International which aims to make the mass destruction of ecosystems a prosecutable, international crime against peace.
• Being Water Wise with Giki
• Taking a Bite Out of Our Food Footprints
• Greener Travel
• Waste at Work
• The Big Switch

Personal Carbon Calculator

To encourage personal action, we introduced Giki Zero, a tool that helps individuals understand their carbon footprint and take practical steps to reduce it. Many colleagues have made changes that contributed to lowering our overall impact.

In 2024, several colleagues took part in challenges like the Employee Race to Zero, a global two-week sustainability competition. Over 30 organisations completed 5,307 activities, avoiding 33,960 kg of carbon—the equivalent of 890 short-haul flights. Our team placed 9th, completing 71 steps and taking 202 actions.

We continue to build awareness, encourage behaviour change and embed sustainability into our culture.

Volunteering for the environment 

Colleagues use their volunteering days to support environmental charities worldwide. In Bristol, teams took to the streets for a litter pick, while in China colleagues waded through rivers to clear debris. Others helped remove invasive plant species in wetlands near Bristol, and in the US, teams joined local conservation projects. These efforts reflect our commitment to making a positive impact on the environment locally and globally. 

Next steps 

Looking ahead, we are focused on three key actions to drive further reductions: