The POC SDGS Members Award-winning Carousel Calendars has laid strong claim to a role in waking the North American calendar business up to the ‘war on plastic’ – one of three areas in which the calendar publisher is placing emphasis as it strives to achieve net zero ambitions under the Science Based Targets initiative.

The other two areas are Net Zero emissions and Supplier Engagement with the SBTi, both areas that require the full commitment of stakeholders and shareholders alike.

“It won’t work unless companies have these targets agreed at board level,” said Steve Plackett, md, Carousel Calendars.

“My aim is to get SBTi (the Science Based Targets initiative) to the same status as SEDEX and FSC. I want all major suppliers to have all three.”

The gear change in rhetoric from the company appears to be paying off for a team which has this year successfully launched over 100 titles to the US market all without shrink wrap.

Next year, Carousel Calendars will be adding a further 100 titles or more to its range, all of which will also be plastic free.

“The North American calendar business has woken up to the ‘war on plastic, and Carousel has been instrumental in this by putting in plastic-free box products and sharing our knowledge, a process which started five years ago,” said Steve.

“Today, major publishers and major retailers in the US are insisting on plastic-free.”

Carousel Calendars is now on track for its near-term target of 46% reduction of scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Its key focus for the coming year is now on scope 3 emissions. The team also projects to hit 70% supplier engagement in the SBTi by June 2024.

At the Sustainability in Licensing Conference last week, Carousel Calendars won the first ever Products of Change SDGs Members Award in alignment with SDG 13 – Climate Action for being the only in its industry to have its ambitions approved by the SBTi.