Eco-friendly printing is one of the big issues in the print media industry, with a growing awareness of the need to protect the environment.

　　That is according to Heidelberg, which said that the increasing scarcity of resources and the impact on air, water, and soil are making this urgently necessary, with the focus first and foremost on cutting CO2 emissions.

　　Heidelberg said that it provides support for its customers in all areas relating to environmental protection, to help enhance their competitiveness.

　　The company has just released its Sustainability Report, which explains the importance to the print media industry of the CO2 footprint of print firms and how it can be influenced.

　　The Sustainability Report explains what comprises the CO2 footprint and how it can be calculated precisely.

　　For instance, the materials and energy used in manufacturing a Speedmaster XL 105 five-colour press with coating unit add up to 218 metric tonnes of CO2.

　　Examining the ratio of materials to CO2 emissions provides interesting findings.

　　Heidelberg claimed that it is currently the only press supplier that uses such a precise method and can ensure carbon offsetting for the presses it manufactures.

　　The Sustainability Report serves as an example for calculating a publication's carbon footprint.

　　It also identifies the aspects that have the strongest impact on CO2 emissions, such as paper and the energy used - factors that, therefore, offer the greatest potential for savings, added the company.

　　Within the report, two customer profiles from Germany and the Netherlands provide demonstrations of how varied the approaches to environmental protection and implementing it in practice can be and the importance of commitment.

　　The company added that it is committed to taking a holistic approach to eco-friendly printing, giving consideration not only to cutting the CO2 footprint but also to reducing and avoiding energy consumption, emissions, and process waste.