COP26: Online Exhibition Showcases Books on Climate Change

By Carmel McNamara, IOS Press, Amsterdam, NL

IOS Press is committed to working towards a sustainable future, sharing a common obligation along with the 100+ signatories of the United Nations (UN) SDG Publishers Compact, and we do that by publishing works that will help inform, develop, and inspire action in that direction. Now, we have joined with 37 other publishers to act as champions for the planet by showcasing books with an environmental focus in an online exhibition organized by Exact Editions that coincides with the upcoming Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26).

COP26, also known as the UN Climate Change Conference, will take place from Oct 31 to Nov 12, 2021 in Glasgow, UK and will see representatives from 40–50 countries in attendance, along with stakeholders who play a key role in the fight against climate change or in the transition to sustainable development. The Pre-COP meeting takes place in Milan, Italy from Sep 30 to Oct 2, 2021 as a preparatory meeting where climate and energy ministers from a selected group of countries will meet to discuss and exchange views on some key political aspects of the negotiations. During both these events, the online book exhibition will be open with free access to over 150 titles.

Exact Editions’ Exhibition for COP26

The exhibition gives a platform to a vast array of book content dealing with climate change and the effect it is having on our planet. The showcase is timed to coincide with COP26, which will bring it to a wide audience. 

Background on this initiative is provided on the organizer’s website: “Climate change is an urgent and important challenge for all sectors of the economy. Exact Editions not only appreciates how publishers are adapting their business to meet sustainability requirements, but also shares their conviction that books are a powerful vehicle through which to inform, educate, and inspire our response to the global issue.”

The virtual exhibition will be a free, temporary exhibition and will include titles covering a wide variety of genres. Each of the 38 publishers taking part has the opportunity to present four books.

Spotlight on the IOS Press showcased titles

• At the heart of our selection is the new book Our Earth Matters, in which Invited authors examine current global approaches to protecting our planet and explore the future trajectory with new ideas, tools, techniques, processes, ecological frameworks, and institutional innovations for international environmental governance. This is a vital new book outlining ideas to overhaul regulatory processes for the protection of the global environment. The content has been curated by Bharat H. Desai, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Policy and Law.
   
• How to Boil an Egg presents a refreshing outlook on the “clean energy” phenomenon. According to this book, sustainable energy for everyone, all over the world, does appear to be a goal within reach, both technologically and financially – and much, much quicker than many would tend to believe.
   
• The impact of air travel and its contribution to the climate crisis is a consideration at the top of many people’s lists. CleanEra is an open access book that takes the reader on a journey to search our new technologies for a revolutionary aircraft – one that offers a future of comfortable air travel for the passenger and a future of sustainable aviation for the planet as well. 
   
• The final title in our COP26 collection provides inspiration for a sustainable future. Welcome to the Green Village is an open access book that outlines ways to create a sustainable, lively, and entrepreneurial environment where we can discover, learn, and show how to solve society’s urgent challenges.