Emerald’s 2024 Responsible Publishing Report provides an in-depth look at our initiatives and achievements in operating as a responsible publisher, supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and fostering a fairer, more inclusive research environment.
Some of the key milestones included in the report are:
- Recognised as Times Top 50 Employer for Gender Equality and one of the Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces in the UK and Ireland.
- Raised more than £25,000 for BookTrust, a UK charity dedicated to getting children reading.
- Released 95% of our books’ frontlist titles straight to print on demand in both the US and the UK.
- Switched to 100% renewable energy at our headquarters in Leeds, UK.
The report details Emerald’s distinctive approach to responsible publishing and the “Emerald Goals” initiative, which tackles real-world societal challenges through interdisciplinary solutions.
This SDGs-based strategy enhances our dedication to promoting impactful research and aligns with our role as a founding signatory of the UN SDG Publisher Compact. This strategy communicates our purpose-driven brand and supports the education, publication, and impact of research aligned with the SDGs.
Through our Real Impact manifesto, we collaborate with partners to redefine “research impact,” challenging outdated metrics. We acknowledge the barriers that exist and strive to foster a more equitable environment where research can thrive. Our focus includes advocating for innovative dissemination formats, robust support systems, and greater recognition of impactful work.
The report also highlights our commitments to making a positive impact on our people, our communities, and the world. We call these commitments our 3Ps – Planet, People, and Prosperity – and have established teams comprising colleagues from around the business to focus on each of these areas. These initiatives are the building blocks of our plan to empower individuals from all walks of life. While we acknowledge there’s still much to achieve, this report highlights the progress we’re making toward our goals.
Vicky Williams, CEO, Emerald Publishing said: “Since we were founded in 1967, Emerald’s belief has always been that the research we publish on behalf of our authors should have application outside of academia and should make an impact in the real world.
“As a global publishing business, we publish over 400 journals, more than 4,180 books, and over 3,100 business cases. Through this output and working closely with our editorial communities, our mission is to see this research reach relevant audiences and make an impact on society. We recognise that this impact takes time to come to fruition, and we work in an industry where impact is often measured in numbers, but we’re nevertheless committed to taking a more progressive stance on how research should be valued.
“At Emerald, we work hard to ensure that our organisational actions reflect the ambitions we have for the research our authors publish with us. This report highlights the results of that work which we will continue to undertake to ensure that we make a real difference.”
