Diversity is a source of wealth

ARNAUD NOURRY
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
Hachette Livre

Diversity is a source of wealth

Books disseminate knowledge, information and ideas. Publishers are on the front line for finding out the challenges facing our societies in terms of social and environmental responsibility and Hachette Livre is therefore particularly aware of the importance of these commitments.

The first responsibility is environmental: to address the issue of climate change, Hachette Livre decided several years ago to take steps to control its greenhouse gas emissions by endeavouring to reduce its carbon footprint in each of the markets in which it operates. Having been the first publishing group in France to adopt a Scope 3 three-year carbon footprint assessment policy, Hachette Livre will continue to adopt various initiatives to control its environmental impact, in particular its use of plastic.

As regards our social responsibility, this is based on one essential principle, that of respecting each person and their unique attributes. Encouraging inclusion and diversity in all its forms is one of the targets we have set ourselves. A number of initiatives have been launched in various parts of the world. For example, in the United States, half the interns at Hachette Book Group are from ethnic minorities. In the United Kingdom, Hachette UK has created the Changing the Story programme and recently opened an office in Manchester to attract new talent. In France, Hachette Livre marked its commitment to getting disabled people into work by taking part in the DuoDay national day on 16 May 2019, and was one of the first companies to sign up to the Manifesto for the inclusion of disabled people in economic life.

Because Hachette Livre believes more firmly than ever that diversity is an asset and should be encouraged, new initiatives will be launched in 2020. More representative diversity is an essential asset to enhance the value, involvement and creativity of our staff. Ensuring that our teams better reflect the diversity of our society is part of our societal responsibility but also relates  to the need to be able to offer the readers of tomorrow books in which they can recognise themselves.

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