Open AccessAn Investigation into Consumer Attitudes in Relation to the Publishing Industry and the Environment
Author(s) -
Dominic Gilmour
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
interscript
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2398-4732
DOI - 10.14324/111.444.2398-4732.1222
Subject(s) - publishing , enthusiasm , carbon footprint , order (exchange) , transparency (behavior) , marketing , perspective (graphical) , business , climate change , project commissioning , advertising , psychology , political science , computer science , social psychology , greenhouse gas , ecology , finance , artificial intelligence , law , biology
Written amid a climate emergency, this paper investigates how the publishing industry is operating to convert its operations to reduce its carbon footprint as it works towards achieving climate neutral status. One of the main obstacles comes from the risk of making changes to the products they produce and whether consumers would be open to such changes. In order to assess this, a questionnaire with 114 recipients was used to collect data relating to consumer attitudes towards books and the environment. Questions were used to determine whether consumers are open to change and whether changes in the production of books are viable from a commercial perspective.The results show a general enthusiasm for books to be produced in environmentally sustainable methods, with respondents showing a willingness to support such behaviour. While the impact these changes might have on the consumer is generally undesirable, increased transparency seems the most effective way in spreading understanding for any changes that might take place to books and their price.