International science journal Nature received the Environmental Personality of the Year at the 24th Ecovidrio awards in a ceremony in Madrid today (Tuesday 19th December) for its extensive track record in disseminating the latest scientific discoveries and research, including on the biodiversity crisis, climate change and its effects.
The awards are hosted by Ecovidrio, the non-profit responsible for managing glass recycling across Spain, and previous winners include former Director of the UNFCCC Christina Figuerres and Jane Goodall. This is the first year that a research journal has received the award.
Editor in Chief of Nature Magdalena Skipper said:
“This award is a fantastic endorsement of the critical role Nature plays in communicating about critical topics including climate change to both scientific audiences and the general public, across the world. We are in great company with previous winners, and are grateful to Ecovidrio for recognising the importance of science and trusted research in identifying solutions to the pressing global challenges, and ultimately speeding up the progress we desperately need for the future.
“I’m also pleased to join this award ceremony on behalf of my Nature and Springer Nature colleagues, all of whom are dedicated to seeing a world made better by the sharing of trusted knowledge, research and education across all disciplines.”
Nature’s publisher Springer Nature Group has commended the journal for its success, acknowledging the vital importance of science and research and highlighting how the publisher supports sustainability more broadly in Spain.
Joyce Lorigan, Group Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Lead at Springer Nature Group said:
“One of our flagship brands, we are delighted to see Nature win this award. Their research and journalism consistently pushes the dial forward when it comes to important conversations on climate, whether that’s through the discoveries they unveil to the world or the voices they give a platform to. We’re proud to be the publisher of Nature and its sister journals, as well as other brands that are equally committed to sharing knowledge on global sustainability. That includes Macmillan Education, which has a significant footprint in Spain and which, through its Advancing Futures programme, is teaching school children about sustainability because we need people of all ages to collaborate in creating a more positive future.”
Sustainability is a core part of Springer Nature Group’s business strategy. In 2023, their net zero science-based targets were verified by the Science Based Targets initiative. They have also been carbon neutral since 2020 for their offices, warehouses, fleet and flights through purchasing high quality carbon offsets. They also aim to accelerate solutions to global challenges through the content they publish, including over 800,000 articles and book chapters relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals since their inception in 2015, collectively cited over 9.5 million times. Find out more in the Springer Nature Group annual Sustainable Business Report.
Springer Nature Group’s largest presence in Spain is with Macmillan Education Iberia. Since it launched in Spain in 2007, Macmillan Education has published more than 2,200 digital books and textbooks in the country, including 600 titles in children’s and young adult literature. More than 68,000 teachers in over 10,000 schools teach with Macmillan Education products, reaching more than 2.2 million students. With offices in 6 Spanish cities and more than 200 employees, the company’s educational products and services are at the forefront of educational innovation, using research into the teaching needs of schools in order to prioritise the areas that best respond to the requests of teachers and students.
Other Springer Nature Group’s businesses in Spain are Springer Healthcare and Springer Nature Spain.
