Sustainability at Storytel
How we work for the well-being of people and the planet
A word from the Sustainability Committee
The audiobook is a fantastic way to access stories, and oral storytelling is perhaps the oldest tradition we have. If you seek companionship, live with a visual impairment or dyslexia, or simply do not have enough time, the audiobook format is a door opener to the wonderful world of books. Research shows that stories make us feel good. Reading is a great way to relax and unwind from a stressful world where screen time, scrolling and notifications are hard to avoid. Stories serve as a common reference that can bring us closer together and help us think bigger and see beyond ourselves. Studies actually show that the right book for the right person contributes to increased empathy.
The digital format makes it possible for anyone with a phone connected to Storytel to choose from a catalogue of 700,000 books – wherever they are. The impact that we have on people's lives can be seen in Storytel surveys, where four out of five users state that they read both more often and more books after they became Storytel users. This is what we contribute to the world.
Storytel works for the well-being of people and the planet.
Storytel’s negative impact on the climate and the environment must decrease with the long-term goal of not existing at all. In 2021, we conducted for the first time a Scope 3 full emissions report on the entire Storytel Group for both the 2020 and 2021 financial years. In 2022, Storytel will set science-based targets and a reduction plan for how to reduce its emissions and negative impact.
Storytel does business in a responsible and ethical way. We are proud to have become in the past year a participant of the UN Global Compact, whose ten principles for ethical business practices serve as an internationally renowned framework.
Helen Fasth Gillstedt, Board Member and Chair of the Sustainability Committee
Jonas Tellander, Founder of Storytel, Board Member and Member of Sustainability Committee.
Storytel's Sustainability Work
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Storytel divides its sustainability work into three areas:
1. Brainprint, meaning how we impact our users with our service and product. Studies show that reading increases our wellbeing in many different aspects and as a pioneer in digitizing books we are proud to have made reading more accessible than ever. Storytel wants to be an advocate for reading and well-being.
2. Footprint, meaning that Storytel must decrease our negative impact on climate and the environment. We’ve committed to setting Science Based Targets to reduce our emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
3. Fingerprint, meaning that we do business in a responsible and ethical way. We are proud participants of the UN Global Compact, whose ten principles for ethical business practices serve as an internationally renowned framework. Storytel Group has a joint Sustainability Policy which is aligned with these 10 principles that include human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. -
We are currently working on setting our science-based targets, meaning we committed to reduce our emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
We also set goals for 2022 to:
- Improve tools and processes for content moderation.
- Power 50% of Storytel’s offices with renewable energy.
- Introduce a fossil-free distribution of the Storytel Reader from the warehouse to the customer in all markets.
- Launch a Supplier Code of Conduct that aligns with the UN Global Compact Principles.
- Through Storytel Books, support different international freedom of expression projects.
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One hour of listening to an audiobook on Storytel emits 6.2 grams of CO2e, meaning that a 10 h long audiobook emits 62 grams of CO2e. To compare, a small semi-skimmed latte (227 ml) emits 10 times more, 672 grams of CO2e. You can read more about Storytel’s emissions in the Sustainability Report.
Sustainability report 2021
In our annual report for 2021, we share how we work with our Brainprint, Footprint and Fingerprint.