The Association of University Presses (AUPresses) is a signatory to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Publishers Compact. A “universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere,” the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been adopted by all member states. The Publishers Compact, developed by the International Publishers Association (IPA) launched in cooperation with the UN, is an opportunity for the global publishing community to contribute to these goals.
Because the SDGs reflect the Association’s core values, our commitment flows through much of the Association’s work and programming in support of these goals.
- SDG #5: Gender Equality—A gender pay parity analysis has been adopted as a core element of the AUPresses Compensation Survey.
- SDG #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth—The AUPresses EJIB Committee has been charged with reviewing the 2023 C4DISC Workplace Equity Survey results to better understand how the Association can support efforts towards equitable workplaces.
- SDG #13: Climate Action—The Association’s keystone effort to advance positive action on the climate is our Annual Meeting format plan that alternates between virtual and in-person events. In 2025 the Annual Meeting returns to a virtual format, decreasing climate costs of travel in addition to making the programming globally accessible.
The Association contributed to IPA’s campaign in late 2024 to document 1000 actions in support of UN SDGs by adding a brief description of this Annual Meeting strategy demonstrating support for the Goals 8 and 13.
Over the rest of the UN Decade of Action (2020-2030) for the SDGs, the Association looks forward to joining with more of our members, partners, and friends to advance these and other goals for a more just, sustainable, and hopeful future for us all.
A growing list of international publishing houses, associations, and service providers have joined the call to work towards the SDGs. These include (as of Spring 2025) AUPresses members Bristol University Press, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Edinburgh University Press, UJ Press, Liverpool University Press, Marine Corps University Press, the University of Ottawa Press, Oxford University Press, Princeton University Press, University of Toronto Press, and the University of the West Indies Press.
Anthony Cond (Liverpool) spoke about university presses and the UN Sustainable Development Goals during the AUPresses Stopwatch session at the 2024 Charleston Library Conference (video available).
The 2024 University Press Week theme of “Step UP” allowed the Association to feature the efforts of Publisher Compact signatory members in our media outreach. The #StepUP reading list and gallery was also an opportunity for more than 100 members to feature publications and projects responsive to UN Sustainable Development Goals.