Regions: GERMANY

DK’s Sustainability Working Party

DK’s global Sustainability Working Party was created to deliver plans on sustainability as volunteers from our offices around the world meet monthly to create and execute our global strategy. The meetings also act as a forum to discuss ideas that will drive forward sustainability initiatives. We also have local colleague-led Green committees dedicated to encouraging sustainable behaviors among colleagues, including reducing printing and single-use plastic. These committees also participate in local and global events throughout the year to raise awareness about environmental causes, such as Earth Day and World Environment Day.

DK’s Green Pledge

At DK, we care deeply about an ethical supply chain and taking positive actions beyond that of a publisher. Our Green Pledge was launched in early 2020 and pulls together all the important work we do to maintain an ethical supply chain, and the positive steps we are planning for the future. Our work is split into four key areas—materials, environment, safety, and sustainable supply chains—and these will continue to be the focus of our efforts. Our Green Pledge acts as an essential framework for our processes, identifying what we have achieved so far in our sustainability goals and what our next steps will be to maintain an ethical supply chain. To learn more about the pledge, click here.

An Anthology for Thought and Reflection

We published a collection of works about life in the time of COVID-19 with the “Corona und wir” (Corona and us) anthology. The contributions from the various renowned authors provide food for thought and moments of reflection on what we collectively felt and dealt with in the early months of the pandemic. The proceeds from the anthology will go to Sozialwerk des Deutschen Buchhandels e.V. The charity offers help to bookstores in need and promotes further education for young booksellers.

Nationwide Reading Aloud Day

In Germany, the nationwide Reading Aloud Day emphasizes the importance of reading aloud and inspiring children and adults alike through stories. We have been actively involved in the campaign since its inception, making Reading Aloud Day an important part of our commitment to promote reading in our communities. In 2019, we donated nearly 2,000 audiobooks as part of Reading Aloud Day, and around 100 employees and authors went throughout Germany to give away packages filled with books.

World Book Day: “Ich schenk dir eine Geschichte!”

For many years, we have been committed to promoting reading with Stiftung Lesen, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making reading a part of every child’s life. Since 1997, every year on World Book Day, together with Stiftung Lesen, we have published a new title in the book series “Ich schenk dir eine Geschichte” (I Give You a Story) as part of a nationwide book voucher campaign to promote reading. More than 3,500 bookstores regularly take part in the campaign and give this special book as a gift to over one million schoolchildren, making it the largest reading promotion campaign in Germany. To learn more, click here.

Increased Climate Neutral Book Production

In 2020, we are committed to stepping up our climate protection activities and annually increase our climate-neutral book production by 20 percent. Our Munich headquarters has been climate-neutral since 2019; we have reduced our emissions where possible and offset all unavoidable emissions. By the end of 2020, the entirety of book production at all our children’s publishers will be climate-neutral, and our other group publishers will be producing more and more titles in climate-neutral ways, helping us achieve our goal of a 20 percent annual increase in climate-neutral book production across our publishers.

A Special Reading Aloud Day

Every November in Germany, millions of people celebrate their love for reading and books by gathering in libraries, schools, and public institutions on Reading Aloud Day. For the 15th anniversary of Reading Aloud Day in 2019, DK welcomed 20 schoolchildren and their teachers into our Munich office, showing them the importance of nonfiction books and publishing. The students, aged 6 to 10 years old, took part in a book quiz, reading activities, and a special tour of the office with an exclusive visit to the Editorial department, where they learned all about how to create a book. The children were also able to vote on their favorite titles and book covers, and DK awarded each student a surprise certificate to mark their day of achievements. Participating in Reading Aloud Day is an important moment in DK Germany’s calendar, as it aligns with our ambition to develop a lifelong love of reading in children.

Employee Book Donations for Our Anniversary

Our fifth anniversary as Penguin Random House in July 2018 provided an unprecedented opportunity to unite around the globe to get more books into the hands of more readers. Through a special anniversary global book donation, we offered every Penguin Random House employee worldwide a selection of free books to donate to any philanthropic or nonprofit organization of their choice. Thousands of our employees joined the campaign, and we were able to provide more than 72,000 books to children and adults in need. Recipient organizations included schools, libraries, hospitals, rural development NGOs, and organizations that serve homeless and incarcerated individuals.