Climate impact of scholarly publishing

Scholarly publishing was one of the first industries to embrace digital delivery, moving from print towards online access decades ago. This shift has expanded access to scholarly content, and most journal articles are now read, downloaded and cited online. By reducing reliance on paper production, printing, storage and physical distribution, digital publishing has also helped lower the overall environmental impact of scholarly communication.

However, digital publishing is not impact free. Producing and hosting content requires digital infrastructure, including data centres, cloud services and content-delivery networks. Accessing content also uses telecommunications networks and electricity on readers’ devices. Some of these impacts may be influenced directly by publishers, while others sit elsewhere in the value chain.

Understanding these sources of emissions can help publishers identify where better data, operational changes or engagement with technology and service providers may support reductions.

To support publishers in understanding their digital carbon footprint, STM has developed a Digital Carbon Calculator, a simple and accessible tool for estimating the emissions associated with the online use of scholarly journal content.

Built on the publicly available DIMPACT methodology, the calculator provides an indicative assessment based on information about infrastructure, journal usage, content delivery and reader behaviour. It is intended as a practical starting point for publishers seeking to understand their impact and explore where emissions reductions may be possible.

To access this free STM tool, please submit your interest via our online form.

Please note: this tool is provided as an informational, indicative resource for academic publishers. It does not constitute a complete organisational or product carbon footprint and is not designed for statutory reporting, audited disclosures, target validation or comparisons between publishers or journals.

The calculator can help publishers:

• develop an initial understanding of the digital emissions associated with journal usage
• support conversations with editors, societies and other stakeholders
• inform discussions with third-party platform providers or internal tech teams
• explore which factors may be within a publisher’s influence
• provide a consistent starting point for internal sustainability discussions

An estimate is a starting point, not an end itself. The results can be used to identify areas for further investigation, improve data collection and engage with relevant suppliers and internal teams.

Some sources of digital emissions may be influenced through technology choices, platform design, data management or procurement. Others depend on infrastructure providers, network services or reader behaviour and may require wider collaboration across the value chain.

Generative AI, like all digital technologies, has an environmental footprint due to the energy used in model training, deployment, and daily use — contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. While its current impact is relatively small compared to traditional publishing activities such as printing and distribution, its footprint is expected to grow as Gen AI becomes more embedded in scholarly workflows.

We are only at the beginning of understanding the climate impact of Gen AI as reliable and comparable information remains limited. We need reliable data from developers of Gen AI models, cloud providers and other technology partners, including information on energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions.  Consistent methodologies and clearly defined system boundaries will also be important for accurately assessing AI-related impacts.

As academic publishers, we recognise our responsibility to understand and mitigate these impacts. STM and its partners will continue to monitor developments in this area, including how AI may affect the creation, discovery and use of scholarly content. Further evidence, greater transparency and consistent approaches will be needed before these impacts can be meaningfully incorporated into carbon assessment methodologies.

Today, most scholarly publishing is digital first or digital only, which means that reducing the digital carbon footprint of platforms, content delivery and user behaviour is central to sustainability in publishing.

Print publishing in scholarly journals continues to serve specific audiences and access needs, but for most publishers, print remains one of the largest sources of emissions. To meaningfully reduce environmental impact, actions must address both print and digital operations.

Academic publishers are committed to addressing climate change, and many have set clear commitments and targets to reduce their climate impact. STM’s Social Responsibility Committee supports this work with tools such as the Digital Carbon Calculator, helping to lay the foundations for industry standards and future reporting.

STM invites everyone across the sector — and others involved in digital and print content delivery — to collaborate, share insights, and drive forward industry aligned standards that will help deliver a sustainable future.

NOTE: The STM resource introduced here is offered on an informational and voluntary basis and should not be interpreted or used as any agreement or understanding among marketplace participants on how they will behave or compete. Participation or use of this resource does not require, encourage, or imply any coordination of commercial decisions. Each publisher remains fully responsible for its own independent business decisions, policies, and practices.