Green Libraries week – running 7th–13th October 2024 – is a campaign organised by CILIP that aims to enable public libraries in England to address Environmental Responsibility and to work with their communities to take action. This extends to all libraries; school and university libraries have joined public libraries in signing the Green Libraries Manifesto. As part of Saïd Business School which provides an abundance of online Insights into Climate Change, the Sainsbury Library contains a wealth of resources on how we can help the planet from all levels – both physical and digital (take a look at our Climate Action Libguide!). This Green Libraries week, we have provided a selection of climate awareness resources in our library display ranging from public and social responsibility to marketing, economic, and library action on climate change.
Sustainable Libraries
Sustainable Thinking: Ensuring your Library’s Future in an Uncertain World by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich
Forward thinking on the development of environmental aspects of libraries and the aims and objectives of libraries. A sustainable library requires sustainable thinking, and this book defines how sustainable thinking encompasses equally the environment, economics and social equity.
Going Green: Implementing Sustainable Strategies in Libraries Around the World: Buildings, Management, Programmes and Services edited by Petra Hauke, Madeleine Charney and Harri Sahavirta
This collection of articles covers environmental aspects of libraries, including energy conservation and how to reduce the ecological footprint in libraries’ everyday operations. The social role and responsibility of libraries as leaders in environmental sustainability
is assessed, as well as examples of implemented practices from academic libraries across the world, including Kenya, USA, and Germany.
Public Action and Climate Change Mitigation
Heat: How to Stop the Planet from Burning by George Monbiot
Providing guidance on how we as the public can help the environment and prevent global warming.
Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation by Paul Hawken
Connects people to resources on solutions and actions to be taken to end the climate crisis. The Project Regeneration website also provides further insight. They have a weekly newsletter called The Waggle about regeneration and the restoration of earth’s life.
Human Choice and Climate Change edited by Steve Rayner and Elizabeth L. Malone
The Uninhabitable Earth: A Story of the Future by David Wallace-Wells
Highlights both the social aspects of climate change and presents the economic setback that climate change proposes, emphasising its widespread detriment.
Economics and Capitalism
Completing Capitalism: Heal Business to Heal the World by Bruno Roche and Jay Jakub
Green Swans: The Coming Boom in Regenerative Capitalism by John Elkington
Elkington discusses the social responsibility of business and declares his manifesto for a system to serve people, planet and prosperity.
The Zeronauts: Breaking the Sustainability Barrier by John Elkington
Elkington introduces ‘Zeronauts’ in his book; innovators who aim to drive problems of carbon, waste, and poverty to zero. These innovators widely tackle economic, social and environmental challenges. Sifting through the environmental aspects of technical innovations, Elkington produces a five stage ‘Pathways to Zero’ model.
Prosperity Without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet by Tim Jackson
Focussing on the issues of continued economic growth in developed nations, Jackson highlights the detrimental environmental impact that rising consumption causes. Jackson finds a solution for how human society can prosper within the limited resourced earth that does not rely on continued economic growth without the ecosystem’s ability to support it.
Climate Shock: The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet by Gernot Wagner and Martin Weitzman
‘If you had a 10 percent chance of having a fatal car accident, you’d take necessary precautions. If your finances had a 10 percent chance of suffering a severe loss, you’d reevaluate your assets. So, if we know the world is warming and there’s a 10 percent chance this might eventually lead to a catastrophe beyond anything we could imagine, why aren’t we doing more about climate change right now?’. Taking an economic lens, Wagner and Weitzman analyse the consequences and possible solutions to this warming planet making previous work on this topic accessible for the general public.
Guides, Business and Marketing
The Green Bundle: Pairing the Market with the Planet by Magali A. Delmas with David Colgan
A guide which aims to teach how the market of green products needs a two-fold marketing strategy that appeals to both the altruistic and egoistic values of consumers – termed ‘the green bundle’. Marketing strategy, environmentalism and human psychology are collated in this extensive guide.
The Future of Luxury Brands: Artification and Sustainability edited by Annamma Joy
A pioneering book analysing sustainability and the environmental aspects of four major sections of the luxury goods industry; the art world, fashion, hospitality services and fine wines.
The Green Executive: Corporate Leadership in a Low Carbon Economy by Gareth Kane
Global problems are made into digestible practical actions for businesses.
Harnessing Markets for Biodiversity: Towards Conservation and Sustainable Use by Dan Biller
Sustainable Business: Key Issues by Helen Kopnina, Rory Padfield and Josephine Mylan
This textbook provides an accessible overview of some concepts of sustainability in business. This updated version considers recent developments such as the climate emergency and COVID-19 and suggests a solution of circular rather than linear economy – a Cradle-to-Cradle
Framework rather than Cradle to Grave. The challenges and solutions offered in this textbook direct us to making sustainability a reality.
Business and the Environment: Implications of the New Environmentalism edited by Denis Fischbacher-Smith
For more resources, see our posts about other recent book displays.
Fresh Green Leaves: New Reading on Sustainable, Responsible & Ethical Business
A Spotlight on Wellbeing
