The Future of Newspapers Is Green

In November 2009, Editor and Publisher, the most prominent newspaper trade magazine in North America covered the announcement of the Globe and Mail's new environmental paper policy.  Download PDF copy of the article.

Give Readers the Green They Want to See

Bankruptcy. Lay-offs. Closures. Such bleak headlines make us wonder: how much time is left for North America's broadsheets and tabloids? There's no denying it, the way readers engage with their newspapers is shifting from print to online but today, more than 100 US million adults still read the newspaper on an average weekday, according to Scarborough Research.

Industry projections still see newspapers in print for at least 10-15 years. Even with declines in newsprint, newspapers will take a heavy toll on carbon- and species-rich forests during that time. In 2008, North American demand for newsprint was 8,000,000 tonnes and the industry still impacts more forest ecosystems than any other paper segment.

Of newsprint produced in Canada, the vast majority of fiber originates from Ontario and Quebec's old growth Boreal forests and is combined with a low industry average (by global standards) of only 30-35 % recycled content. Currently there are no industry-wide targets or standards for recycled content in North America while in some regions of the world, such as the UK, industry targets have resulted in an average of more than 80% recycled content.

Audiences seeking to be informed about climate change solutions are also consumers demanding greener products. Looking ahead, the future of newspapers needs to be an integrated platform of online and print with the latter being leaner and greener. It's with this vision that Canopy will continue to promote an industry shift to environmental papers by increasing the availability of recycled and FSC certified sheets, and by creating feasibility for papers that are made from non-wood fibres.

Let's not forget that 15 years is still ample time for the fragmentation of large tracts of forests that took hundreds of years to become the complex ecosystems and carbon sinks that they are today.

A Brighter Shade of Green: Opportunities for Newspapers in the New Era of Consumer Environmentalism

A joint report with Canopy and the Green Press Initiative that discusses the impacts of the newspaper industry and opportunities for environmental leadership.

Please contact Tara@canopyplanet.org for more details.