Carbon Reduction Plan for Print and Publishing Companies
Printers and publishers supplying central government, HMSO, NHS communications, or local authority print contracts need a Carbon Reduction Plan under PPN 006. CarbonVerified handles the paper, energy, and logistics emissions specific to print operations.
Emissions sources in Print & Publishing
Your Carbon Reduction Plan must quantify all material emission sources. Here are the typical sources for your sector.
Scope 1 – Direct Emissions
Emissions from sources you own or control directly.
- Natural gas for drying and heating in production facilities
- Delivery fleet vehicles for distribution of printed goods
- Solvent-based ink and chemical use in certain press processes (VOC emissions)
- Diesel in forklifts and materials handling equipment
Scope 2 – Indirect Energy
Emissions from purchased electricity, heat, or steam.
- Electricity for large-format and sheet-fed printing presses
- Electricity for bindery, finishing, and office operations
Scope 3 – Value Chain
Indirect emissions across your supply chain and activities.
- Paper and board stock procurement (particularly virgin fibre and non-FSC)
- Ink, varnish, and coating materials supply chain
- Plate-making and pre-press chemistry
- Waste paper, card, and print off-cuts disposal
- Employee commuting to production facilities
Every CRP submitted under PPN 006 must meet the same six-point standard regardless of sector — covering baseline footprint, net zero commitment, interim milestones, Scope 1 and 2 data, Scope 3 disclosure, and a signed director declaration. Full CRP requirements →
Common challenges for Print & Publishing suppliers
These are the data and reporting hurdles we see most often in this sector.
Paper procurement is by far the largest Scope 3 source for most printers but supplier carbon data is rarely available
Energy-intensive print presses make Scope 2 a significant and variable cost depending on production volumes
Waste streams (paper offcuts, ink, chemicals, plates) require specialist disposal routes that are rarely carbon-coded
Print volumes fluctuate significantly between years, making baseline selection important and sometimes contentious
Frequently asked questions
Create my free Carbon Reduction Plan
Answer a few questions about your Print & Publishing operations. We'll calculate your baseline footprint and generate a PPN 006-compliant CRP ready to publish.
- Set up in under 2 minutes
- DESNZ-aligned calculations
- Published, signed, PPN 006-ready
Related tools and guides
- PPN 006 Compliance Checker — check whether your existing CRP meets the standard
- Carbon Reduction Plan tool — generate a compliant, publishable CRP in minutes
- How CarbonVerified works — measure your full Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions