Though essential to democratic societies and public discourse, newspaper printing operations also contribute to environmental impacts; a new report helps them manage that.

WAN-Ifra has published ‘Carbon audit: Call to action – managing emissions in newspaper printing plants’ to help printing facilities better understand, measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions.

Chairman of the World Printers Forum’s India chapter Debarshi Ray says after decades at the forefront of informing the public about climate change, the industry now has the precise accounting mechanisms to manage its own footprint.

“What the WAN-Ifra carbon audit project makes clear is that sustainability cannot be treated as a siloed compliance exercise – it must be woven into the fabric of daily operational excellence,” he says.

Ray, who is technical director at Times of India publisher Bennett Coleman & Co. says the report – developed in alignment with international climate frameworks including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement – also draws upon globally recognised sustainability concepts such as carbon budgeting and planetary boundaries.

Newspapers’ printing operations contribute to environmental impacts through energy consumption, transportation, raw material usage and production processes.

The report provides a practical and systematic approach to identifying, measuring and managing emission sources across newspaper operations and value chains. It outlines methodologies to categorise direct and indirect emissions, assess environmental impact, and identify opportunities for emissions reduction and operational improvement.

By providing guidance on emissions accounting and reduction strategies, the report seeks to help newspaper printing facilities contribute meaningfully to both national and global climate goals while strengthening long-term operational resilience.

The special report is available to download for members and media organisations seeking to benchmark their operations, minimise resource waste, and build trust with modern, climate-conscious readers and regulators. Members can download the report from the association’s Knowledge Hub.

Pictured: A pulp and paper mill in New Brunswick, Canada, photo Wikipedia.