Ad Net Zero names signatories and firms up action plan

Since its launch in November, the Ad Net Zero initiative, set up by the Advertising Association, ISBA and the IPA to help reduce carbon emissions in the ad industry, has signed up a good list of supporters — who are also donating funds — although there are some notable exceptions.

Holding companies Dentsu, WPP, Havas, Accenture Interactive and Publicis Groupe are in there, although there’s no mention of Omnicom beyond the Media Group, and IPG has yet to sign up.

Independents like St Luke’s and Wieden+Kennedy are supporting the initiative, as are marketers including Unilever (but not Procter & Gamble) and Royal Mail, plus tech and media companies Facebook, The Guardian, Channel 4 and Sky.

The Ad Net Zero team put out an open call for support in November and has not been actively chasing companies down, but some are clearly prioritising the environment more than others.

Sebastian Munden, EVP & General Manager, Unilever UK & Ireland, led the first full meeting this month, where five separate working groups were established. The groups will work to track and analyse carbon emissions; reduce emissions from advertising productions; reduce emissions from media choices; “green up” awards and events; and use advertising’s positive influence.

Stephen Woodford, CEO of the Advertising Association, said: “As a collective, our ambition is to set our industry on a clear path to net zero with immediate actions to measure, track and reduce the carbon impact of the way our industry operates. We will also be focusing on how UK advertising’s creativity can support the rapid shifts in consumer behaviour needed to address the climate emergency that we all face.”