Ad Net Zero has added two more members to its global ranks: digital advertising tech firm PubMatic and health and hygiene product maker Reckitt.
Craig Fryer, global media director for Reckitt, will chair a new working group aimed at establishing an industrywide standard for measuring and managing greenhouse emissions from media. Both announcements were made at an Advertising Week New York event held at the British Consulate this week.
It comes as the group is revving up to launch its U.S. chapter in January. Ad Net Zero revealed earlier this month that John Osborn, former CEO at OMD USA who also spent 25 years at BBDO, will lead its new U.S. division.
Unifying the industry’s climate efforts
Ad Net Zero was founded two years ago in the U.K. by the Advertising Association. The group’s goal is to guide its members and the industry at large to reduce marketing’s climate impact.
To do that, it’s established a five-point climate action plan that directs advertisers to measure and reduce all types of greenhouse gas emissions. Ad Net Zero also asks the advertising industry to consider the role it can play in encouraging consumer behavior change to reduce climate impact.
Ad Net Zero first announced its international expansion at the Cannes Lions festival in June. The rollout was followed by backing from Dentsu International, Havas, Interpublic Group, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, WPP, Unilever, Google, Meta and European media company Sky.
While PubMatic and Reckitt are its most recent additions, organizers hope to build out its support network in the U.S. ahead of the January launch, Osborn indicated.
“The advertising industry has the ability to build brands, to drive awareness, to shape perception and drive preference—and the advertising industry can also solve tough problems,” Osborn told Adweek. “We invite all come to the table to try and collectively make a difference.”
‘A broad church’
Ad Net Zero sees itself as a “broad church,” said Sebastian Munden, chair of the group and former evp at Unilever U.K. and Ireland.
“For this industry to get to net zero carbon, everyone needs to make progress,” he explained. “Some companies have enough resources to be really cutting edge and leading edge. Other companies have no resources. We’re really here to support everybody.”
One way the group aims to support its members is by standardizing the methodologies used to measure climate impact. The new working group on media decarbonization is a first step in creating that unified methodology for one segment of the industry.
In the U.S., the group has an arguably more important role to play. As climate legislation and regulation lag behind many other regions around the globe, industry leaders have an opportunity to set new standards as they work to reduce the climate impact of their work.
“It’s going to be very important for us, going forward, to have the industry coalesce around these methodologies and standards and best practices—sometimes in the absence of [legislative and regulatory] guidance,” Alison Pepper, evp of government relations and sustainability at the 4A’s, told Adweek.
Climate momentum
Ad Net Zero’s expansion comes as the industry faces a reckoning on climate action and impact.
Groups like Clean Creatives and Greenpeace have ramped up their efforts to push agencies to drop fossil fuel companies as clients because of their contributions to climate change. Seventh Generation recently unveiled the concept of climate fingerprints, asking brands to consider where they have influence through their relationships with marketing and advertising agencies, financial institutions, advocacy and philanthropy.
Greenwashing has become a topic of discussion at nearly every ad-related conference. The U.S. Congress has even taken up the issue in oversight committee hearings on advertising and PR agencies’ role in misleading the public on climate change.
“The clock is ticking,” Osborn said. “We can’t waste any time.”
