At Assouline, our goal is to create inspiring, meaningful and beautiful books that give culture the importance it deserves. On that note, the celebration of global culture cannot be possible without the preservation of our planet. Environmental sustainability has been of major personal importance to my family, and we’ve always felt a responsibility to give back to the source of our brand’s growth: The Earth. To begin this initiative, we decided to start working with the non-profit organization One Tree Planted and made it our mission to help by planting trees specifically in areas where our paper is sourced. Recently, we have shifted our focus from those areas to the Amazonian rainforest, which has been greatly affected by forest fires. In the years to come, our goal is to continue this work and to make our brand more environmentally conscious.
When we first embarked on this initiative, we met with many different companies. It was essential, to me, that the company we partnered with shared our views and dedication to the cause. After meeting with One Tree Planted, we were impressed by the bandwidth of their reach and their commitment to making a difference. We knew almost instantly that they shared our vision and would help guide us in the process of becoming a more sustainable brand.
In working with One Tree Planted, Assouline pledged to plant a tree for every book sold, but we hope to extend this vision for sustainability into our production practices as well. In the next 15 years, we ultimately want to be able to source our paper from more sustainable outlets that share our commitment to the environment. Our other goal is to raise awareness through our channels about the importance of protecting our planet. We believe that anyone with a platform should use their voice for good, and by doing so, we hope to encourage others to do their part and protect the planet. Since we’ve announced our partnership with One Tree Planted, they informed us that other publishers have decided to follow in our footsteps and start their own initiatives. To me, having such an awareness spread among others indicates further positive change.
In recent years, while publishing several titles focused on the environment, I realized it was time for us to become more cohesive in our responsibility to the world. Our collaboration with One Tree Planted has further educated us as a company and guided us on our path towards sustainability. One Tree Planted has been instrumental in teaching us (and others) about the essential roles trees play in our global ecosystem, and how their positive impact can be felt in countless unseen ways which include climate, biodiversity, water supplies, air quality, and even our mental health.
We are incredibly happy and very much proud to be able to collaborate with One Tree Planted. We hope to have a long-lasting impact and I have personally dedicated myself to maintaining our commitment to the environment.
