CSIRO Publishing now a signatory to the SDG Publishers Compact

June 26th, 2024

We've joined publishers from around the world who have committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The logo of the SDG Publisher's Compact over a blurred background image of a bookshelf.

Sustainability is at the core of CSIRO’s purpose. The science and research that we undertake provides solutions that enhance our quality of life, stimulate our economy, and preserve our extraordinary environment.

At CSIRO Publishing, we are uniquely positioned to enhance the impact of science by communicating the outcomes of research, empowering decision makers, and enriching the lives of all our readers through knowledge.

The SDG Publishers Compact is designed to inspire action among publishers. Launched in collaboration with the International Publishers Association, the Compact aims to accelerate progress to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

 

The 10 commitments for signatories

  • Committing to the SDGs
  • Actively promoting and acquiring content that advocates for themes represented by the SDGs
  • Annually reporting on progress towards achieving SDGs
  • Nominating a person who will promote SDG progress
  • Raising awareness and promoting the SDGs among staff
  • Raising awareness and promoting the SDGs among suppliers
  • Becoming an advocate to customers and stakeholders
  • Collaborating across cities, countries, and continents with other signatories and organizations to develop, localize and scale projects that will advance progress on the SDGs
  • Dedicating budget and other resources towards accelerating progress
  • Taking action on at least one SDG goal

 

Some of the ways we are working on these commitments

We have an internationally respected publishing program that includes peer-reviewed journals dating back to 1948, a wide range of award-winning books and popular magazines. Our focus is on many of the areas of science represented by the SDGs including agriculture, environmental science, and health.

We are also working towards reducing inequalities through programs such as Research4Life that provides institutions in lower income countries with online access to academic and professional peer-reviewed content. This collaboration ensures that all content published in the CSIRO Publishing family of journals is made available online to readers in lower income counties with no embargoes or paywalls.

Our journals offer Open Access options to help authors reach the broadest possible audience for their work. Researchers at many institutions, including CSIRO, can now publish articles as Open Access under a range of licences at no cost to their research budget through agreements supported by their library. Later this year we will also broaden our waivers program to enable researchers in lower income countries to publish articles as Open Access without fees.

 

Our Director Arend Kuester is a Publishers Compact Fellow [external link], and keen champion of the commitments that guide signatories to meet their obligations.

“It is wonderful for CSIRO Publishing to join the Publishers Compact, and so important for a publishing organisation based in Australia’s national science agency to show our support for the SDGs. I personally have been involved with the compact for quite some time and I am thrilled that we can continue working together. It is like re-joining a family, and the team at CSIRO Publishing is looking forward to contributing constructively.”

CSIRO Publishing has been living the values underpinning the Publishers Compact for many years. This important step will formalise our commitment to the SDGs and hold us accountable for our actions in the years to come.

 

Learn more about the UN SDG Publishers Compact [external link] and CSIRO Publishing’s values.