As we commemorate Climate Week 2024, VitalSource is proud to reflect on a significant milestone—our first full year of carbon neutrality. This is more than an achievement; it is a testament to our unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and our vision for a future where education and sustainability go hand in hand. 

One Year of Progress: A Commitment to a Sustainable Future 

In 2023, we set two ambitious goals: First to become a carbon neutral company and, second, to launch the industry’s first carbon neutral course materials program. Today, we’re celebrating the fulfillment of that pledge. Over the past year, we’ve taken decisive action to reduce our operationally controllable emissions and invested in high-quality, verifiable, carbon avoidance projects, ensuring that the products and services we offer are aligned with our vision of a sustainable future. We also launched Planet Smart as the standard-bearer in higher education course materials sustainability.  

Our journey toward carbon neutrality has been defined by measurable progress. We have: 

• Developed a carbon footprint measurement approach with Watershed Technologies of our company’s emissions and those of the materials used by students 

• Reduced our overall emissions in areas under our operational control, from 1,788 tonnes CO2e (2022) to 1,708 tonnes CO2e (2023).  

• Decreased emissions per employee by 4.5%.  

• Launched Planet Smart course materials programs across the USA with 17 colleges 

• Invested in carbon avoidance initiatives that either reduced or offset emissions including reforestation projects in coastal British Columbia, Canada, renewable energy use and investment in efforts to remove harmful refrigerant gases from the atmosphere.  

 Plant Smart: Expanding Sustainability Through Carbon Neutral Course Materials 

We are proud to have expanded our carbon neutral offerings to support educational institutions across the United States. As of today, we’ve powered 17 colleges and universities with the Planet Smart program, setting a new standard for environmentally conscious learning. We expect this number to grow as more higher education institutions seek to demonstrate sustainability.  

For each Planet Smart college, VitalSource embarks on a scientific approach to measure the activities of that course materials program. One of our founding programs for Planet Smart is the Cornell Store and their CAMP Program. Each half-year of the CAMP Program is measured according to the digital texts used, publisher provided content utilized, and physical texts and materials provided to students. With these measurements, VitalSource provided Cornell with emissions reductions from the use of digital materials and the actual emissions from the program that VitalSource carbon neutralized. In the Spring 2024 term (Jan – June 2024), Cornell’s program reduced emissions through use of etexts by a total of 193 tCO2e or 42 vehicles equivalent and the program emitted 55.1 tCO 2e total via etext, print, and publisher provided materials. The actual emissions of 55.1 tCO2e were included in VitalSource’s purchase of verified carbon units from Watershed Technologies carbon marketplace.

VitalSource has become the leading expert in etext emissions through this effort! We measures emissions from two factors for etexts - electricity use and pages printed from the etext. Devices (e.g. phones, tablets, and laptops) used to read etexts use electricity and we factors this total time to energy consumption and related emissions to create that electricity. For the second measure of the total pages printed from student texts, each page is applied a factor associated with paper manufacturing and waste disposal.  

Students who choose VitalSource are not only accessing top-tier educational content, but they’re also contributing to a future where their learning has a smaller environmental footprint. 

A Holistic Approach: Measure, Act, and Report 

Our approach to sustainability is rooted in three core principles: measure, act, and report. We partnered with climate experts at Watershed Technologies to measure our greenhouse gas emissions across every facet of our operations, from energy use and employee travel to cloud computing and the use of our platforms like Bookshelf. 

Armed with this data, we took bold steps to offset and reduce these emissions. We invested in clean power generation and reforestation projects around the globe. These projects are just the beginning of a broader strategy that aligns with our commitment to net carbon neutrality, ensuring that every tonne of CO2 we emit is counterbalanced by impactful environmental projects. 

At VitalSource, transparency is at the heart of our sustainability strategy. We believe that by openly sharing our emissions data and climate actions, we can inspire others to join us in this critical mission. Our commitment to sustainability is not only about minimizing our environmental footprint but also about empowering students, educators, and institutions to make informed choices for a brighter, more sustainable future. 

Review our 2024 emissions summary here. 

Looking Forward with Optimism 

While we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in one year, we know that the journey toward a more sustainable world is ongoing. Climate Week 2024 reminds us of the urgency of the global climate challenge, but it also fills us with hope. Through continued innovation, collaboration, and action, VitalSource will remain at the forefront of the sustainability movement in education. 

Together, we are creating a future where learning is not just transformative for students, but also for the planet. Here's to another year of progress, and to the vital work that still lies ahead.