The BA launched its Sustainable Booksellers Group in 2018, to keep a watching brief on what bookshops can do to be environmentally responsible and what efficiencies could be brought to the supply chain to reduce waste.

The remit of the Group is to help the BA formulate policies, conduct research, provide products and services, and host networking opportunities for booksellers to meet to discuss the key issues.
 
In June 2024, the BA announced the appointment of BA Vice President Debbie James as our Sustainability Champion, and of Amber Harrison, of FOLDE, Dorset, as a new Sustainability Mentor.
 
Sustainable Bookselling Manifesto
The Sustainable Booksellers Group has created a Sustainable Bookselling Manifesto and the BA lobbies the wider trade on sustainable issues, and the manifesto is a useful tool in that representation.

Read the Sustainable Bookselling Manifesto

The BA is a member of the Sustainability Industry Forum, along with the Publishers Association, Association of Authors Agents, Independent Publishers Guild, Society of Authors, Book Industry Communication.   The BA is represented on this group by BA Managing Director Meryl Halls and BA Vice President and Sustainability Champion Debbie James.

BA Learning
The BA ran a successful Sustainable Bookselling Conference in April 2022. You can watch the recording of that event here.
The BA features sustainable bookselling sessions within its conference programmes and there are also useful resources for booksellers on the BA Learning Skills Hub. 

Sustainable Bookselling Grants
In September 2022 the BA announced the launch of a £100k Sustainable Grant Fund and relaunched the third tranche in June 2024.

This allows BA Members to apply for between £250 and £1000 for a project to improve the sustainability of your business.
 
Booksellers should email [email protected] to apply for a Sustainable Bookselling Grant.

Part of the objectives of the Sustainability Grants project is to share best practice, so we are keen to share with other booksellers news on some of the funded projects. We are also keen to gather information about good suppliers, interesting initiatives, and excellent inspirations booksellers may have experienced through the application process.