Our commitment to sustainability

Sustainability is a key focus of everything we do, from providing a digital-first path for researchers to publish, to global initiatives like Frontiers Planet Prize. It’s how we play our own part toward achieving healthy lives on a healthy planet.

As part of this, we’re exploring new ways we can integrate sustainability into our products, daily operations, and communities.

Knowing our carbon footprint is a prerequisite to our sustainability commitment because it provides a clear and measurable starting point: by understanding the specific sources and amounts of greenhouse gas emissions
we produce, we can identify key areas for improvement and set realistic targets for reduction.

We partner with Plan A to collect, measure, and consolidate our emissions data. Plan A is certified by TÜV Rheinland and is Green House Gas Protocol compliant. Where primary data is not available, recognised secondary data and national averages are used to support a complete assessment.

Our overall carbon footprint for 2025 measured 12,056 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e).

• Scope 1 - 2.17 tCO2e - This corresponds to to direct emissions from sources we control, specifically related to fugitive emissions from refrigerant leakage and other similar sources in our main offices.
  

• Scope 2 - 293.58 tCO2e - This corresponds to indirect emissions associated with purchased electricity and heating in our main offices.
  

• Scope 3 - 11,760.19 tCO2e - Includes purchased goods and services, business travel, work from home, and emissions related to employee commuting. Emissions related to purchased goods and services have been calculated via spend-based factors for each supplier.

Emissions breakdown

By gathering emissions data from all our operations, we've established a comprehensive emissions baseline that enables us to monitor and reduce our carbon footprint.

• Purchased goods and services - 10.041.87 tCO2e

• Business travel - 1,365.25 tCO2e

• Employee commute and work from home - 301.03 tCO2e

• Purchased electricity - 186.21 tCO2e

• Purchased heating - 107.37 tCO2e

• Waste generated in operations - 48.89 tCO2e

• Fuel and energy-related activities - 3.15 tCO2e

• Fugitive emissions – 2.17 tCO2e

• Purchased goods and services remain the largest source of emissions, representing over 80% of our total
  footprint, highlighting the importance of continuing to work closely with suppliers through our responsible
  business practices and Supplier Code of Conduct.

• Within the purchased goods and services category, digital infrastructure, software, hosting, and IT services remain key emissions hotspots.

• Emissions vary across our office locations due to differences in national electricity mixes.

From 2024 to 2025, Frontiers’ total footprint increased by 56%, rising from 7,732.06 to 12,056 tCO2e.

The largest contribution came from purchased goods and services, highlighting the importance of continuing to work closely with suppliers through our responsible business practices and supplier code of conduct.

Business travel was another major driver, reinforcing the need to keep monitoring travel patterns and encouraging more sustainable behavior where possible.

Commuting emissions decreased by 37%, despite an increase in distance travelled and number of trips. This reflects a positive shift towards lower-emission modes of transport and shows that behavior change can make a meaningful difference.

In 2020 we demonstrated our commitment by becoming a signatory of the UN’s SDG Publishers Compact, recognizing that we have a crucial part to play in helping the publishing industry drive positive change on a larger scale. The UN Sustainable Development Goals provide a valuable framework for editorial priorities and objectives.

We support SDGs in three ways:

• Publishing science - through our 220+ community-led journals. Our sustainability portfolio includes journals focused on advancing sustainable development covering more than 100 specialty sections, from ecotourism to forest growth. Our portfolio also inclues Frontiers in Science, which focuses on accelerating solutions to global challenges in human and planetary health, and Frontiers for Young Minds - engaging young people with science.

• Supporting science - through initiatives like Frontiers Planet Prize which awards $3 million each year to fund to the most impactful research that advances planetary boundary science.

• Amplifying science - by creating a place for leading scientists at the decision-making table during key policy events, like Frontiers Science House at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

At Frontiers, we are committed to being a responsible business partner and upholding high ethical standards across our operations.

Our supplier code of conduct ensures that our partners align with our values, prioritizing responsible and sustainable practices.

Our modern slavery statement outlines our approach to preventing exploitation within our supply chains and to promoting human rights, reinforcing our dedication to a sustainable future.

We are committed to transparency and promoting equity in our workplace. As part of our ongoing work towards this, we have published our UK gender pay gap report, which details our performance and actions to address the gender pay gap.

Our accessibility statement outlines the key accessibility features available on our website and articles, and sets out the projects currently underway to further the accessibility of our services.

Frontiers’ approach to sustainability also includes a strong focus on people and communities.

We support employee-led initiatives through five active Employee Resource Groups, which foster inclusion, connection, and dialogue across a range of topics, including diversity and belonging.

Through our volunteering framework, employees contributed 531 hours in 2025 across initiatives ranging from environmental conservation and mentoring to community development and support for underserved groups.

Our donation matching programme has provided over CHF 7,000 to amplify employee-led fundraising efforts in support of causes aligned with Frontiers’ mission.

We also support local communities in the regions where we operate through initiatives such as science fairs, donations of unused materials, and seasonal or targeted efforts, reflecting our commitment to a positive and inclusive impact beyond our core business.