When 90% of emissions lie outside the organisation
For Natur & Kultur, the greatest climate challenge does not lie within its own operations. Between 80 and 90 per cent of the company’s emissions come from Scope 3 sources, primarily from book production carried out by external printing partners.
This led the publishing house to realise early on that meaningful emissions reductions would not be achieved through measures within its offices alone. To reduce its climate impact, it needed to work closely with its suppliers.
Over the past decade, Natur & Kultur has therefore continuously developed its climate requirements, improved the quality of its emissions data and embedded climate considerations into every production decision. Together with Atmoz, the company has established a systematic approach that enables it to measure, reduce and take responsibility for emissions throughout its entire value chain.
About Natur & Kultur
Industry: Book and educational publishing
Ownership structure: Foundation
Employees: Approximately 150
Climate targets: Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
Supplier network: Printing partners exclusively in Europe, with multiple paper mills further upstream in the supply chain
Partnership with Atmoz: Carbon accounting, climate advisory services, SBTi support, emissions reduction strategy and carbon credits
A long-term effort to influence the supply chain
Natur & Kultur’s climate journey began in earnest in 2015. One of the first initiatives was to significantly increase the proportion of FSC-certified paper used in production.
Where FSC certification had previously been applied to only part of its publishing programme, it was subsequently expanded to cover virtually all book production, with the exception of a small number of specialist print runs.
At the same time, Natur & Kultur began collecting detailed information on paper consumption, book production and transportation in order to better understand climate impacts across the entire value chain.
We quickly realised that the majority of our climate impact was located within the supply chain. If we wanted to make a real difference, that was where we needed to start, says Anna Tranell, CIO and Head of Sustainability at Natur & Kultur.
Since then, climate requirements have been strengthened step by step as knowledge, methodologies and data quality have improved.
Climate requirements become more ambitious with every procurement cycle
Natur & Kultur procures its printing services through Printpool on two-year contract cycles. With each procurement round, additional requirements and questions have been introduced to increase transparency and drive improvements among suppliers.
Today, suppliers are assessed on factors including:
- Share of renewable electricity used in production
- Self-generated renewable energy
- Environmental and sustainability certifications
- Origin and climate impact of paper
- Transport arrangements and transport distances
- Ability to provide detailed emissions data
Over the years, Natur & Kultur has also encouraged its printing partners to select the lowest-emission paper grades available.
At the same time, data collection has become increasingly comprehensive. In addition to paper volumes, book volumes and transport data, the company now gathers information on:
- Sources of electricity used
- Whether the printer can calculate production emissions
- Whether carbon credits are used and for which emissions
- Transport flows between paper mills, printing facilities and warehouses
- Use of renewable fuels
- Paper volumes sourced from individual mills
- Share of FSC-certified paper
The result is a level of transparency that provides Natur & Kultur with far greater opportunities to influence emissions throughout its supply chain.
From generic assumptions to actual emissions data
Better decisions require better data.
Together with Atmoz, Natur & Kultur and Printpool have spent many years refining the carbon accounting methodology for book production. The focus has been on gradually improving data quality and moving from generic assumptions to specific emissions data from actual suppliers, transport providers and paper mills.
A significant milestone was reached for the 2019 reporting year, when generic paper emission factors were replaced by emissions data from the specific paper mills supplying paper to Natur & Kultur’s production.
For a publishing company, where paper accounts for a substantial share of climate impact, this represented a major leap forward in accuracy.
Climate data that influences every production decision
In 2022, Natur & Kultur took the next step by integrating template-based climate calculations directly into its production management system.
When planning a new book, publishers can now see how climate impact changes before production begins, depending on choices such as:
- Printing partner
- Paper weight
- Format
- Page count
- Print run size
The calculations are based on emissions factors unique to each printing facility, making it possible to consider climate impact at the point where production decisions are made.
The objective is for climate considerations to become a natural part of commercial decision-making rather than something analysed retrospectively.
Next step: emissions data for every individual order
From 2026 onwards, Natur & Kultur will take another significant step in its supplier engagement programme.
All contracted printing partners will begin reporting emissions data for every individual production order rather than providing annual summaries of print and paper volumes.
To support this transition, Natur & Kultur has introduced an administrative compensation model for printers undertaking the reporting work. Despite the fact that many printers currently lack dedicated reporting systems, the initiative has been positively received and all suppliers are participating.
The new model enables changes to be identified immediately.
If a printer chooses a lower-emission paper grade instead of a higher-emission alternative, the impact will be visible in the system straight away rather than only becoming apparent the following year.
It will also enable suppliers that improve their climate performance to be rewarded directly through future production decisions.
We want to create a system where climate improvements have a tangible impact on business decisions, says Anna Tranell
Science-based targets for continued reductions
To ensure its climate strategy remains aligned with the Paris Agreement, Natur & Kultur has adopted climate targets through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Together with Atmoz, the company has developed targets and strategies designed to drive continued emissions reductions over time.
Measures already implemented include:
- Transitioning from hybrid vehicles to electric vehicles
- Installing solar panels on company-owned property
- Gradually increasing climate requirements for suppliers
- Improving emissions data used in production decisions
The next step is to leverage the new 2026 data model to develop even more detailed reduction plans and evaluate the potential introduction of an internal carbon price.
Taking responsibility for remaining emissions
Even with a comprehensive emissions reduction programme, some emissions cannot be eliminated in the short term.
To address these residual emissions, Natur & Kultur uses carbon credits as part of its climate strategy.
Together with Atmoz, the company has built a portfolio combining different types of climate projects, from solar energy projects in India (carbon avoidance) to forest conservation projects (carbon removal) with a strong focus on biodiversity, including the Swedish Boreal Mix project.
Read more about Boreal Mix here.
Natur & Kultur chooses to take responsibility for its entire climate footprint, including Scope 3 emissions.
Climate action starts in the value chain
Although the company is not subject to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Natur & Kultur continues to strengthen and expand its climate efforts.
This commitment is driven by a conviction that businesses must take responsibility for their impacts, even when emissions arise outside their direct operations.
By steadily raising supplier requirements, improving emissions data and integrating climate considerations into business decisions, Natur & Kultur has developed one of the most long-term and systematic approaches to reducing Scope 3 emissions within the Swedish publishing sector.
Together with Atmoz, the company continues its work to create greater transparency, higher-quality data and lower emissions throughout the entire value chain.
