Advertisers Grapple With Industry's Role at UN Climate Talks

Global leaders have reunited in Sharm El-Sheikh, an Egyptian resort town on the tip of the Sinai peninsula, this week for the United Nations climate conference known as COP27. Government delegations, business leaders, non-governmental organizations, activists—and, of course, advertisers—have all descended upon the scuba diving destination to discuss the climate crisis. At the 2015 summit in Paris, global leaders agreed we shouldn't let global warming get higher than 2 degrees Celsius above a pre-industrial baseline. Keeping it to 1.5 degrees, they decided, would be ideal. Since then, the world has seen the seven hottest years on record. After a dip in fossil fuel production during the pandemic, reports say 2022 will likely set a pollution record, too. And it's almost certain we'll surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming. How Dirty Is Your Website? Here Are the Top 100 US Advertisers by CO2 Emissions Adweek spoke with industry experts in Egypt to understand the advertising community's perspective on these meetings. As brand sponsors come under fire, advertisers wonder: What role, if any, should the ad world assume during the world's biggest climate talks? Advertising, plus sales, drive emissions The ad industry's sustainability efforts have so far been focused largely on measuring, reducing and offsetting emissions related to production and media. And while that must continue to be addressed, some advertisers argue that the industry's responsibility goes far beyond its physical footprint. This data is a wake-up call that advertising is an industry on the wrong side of the climate transition.Ben Essen, CSO and sustainability expert, Iris This week at COP, climate-focused advertising network Purpose Disruptors released a new report titled Advertised Emissions. The term refers to the additional greenhouse gas emissions created by the uplift in sales generated by advertising to consumers. The group found that advertised emissions in the U.K. have increased by 11% since 2019. That influence dwarfs the physical footprint of advertising's activities—Purpose Disruptors' report estimates that advertised emissions are roughly 200 times the total emissions of the industry's operations. "Many in our industry have hoped that the Net Zero plans launched by our clients would be enough to ensure that our own impact would decrease," Ben Essen, chief strategy officer and resident sustainability expert for creative agency Iris, told Adweek. "This data is a wake-up call that advertising is an industry on the wrong side of the climate transition." COP's stuttering legitimacy But as attendees determine how advertising can mitigate its climate impact, sponsors like Coca-Cola and Vodafone paid to have their brand names displayed throughout the venue. Brand participation, some argue, hurts the already shaky legitimacy of the conference—especially when one of those sponsors is also the world's biggest plastic polluter. "The climate negotiations are heavily criticized for being a ‘junket,’ and having sponsorships as if it were a concert or sports event doesn’t help with that perception," Solitaire Townsend, co-founder and chief solutionist at climate-focused agency Futerra, told Adweek. "I’d love to see brands support the travel costs of groups from Indigenous communities, youth movements and NGOs—all of whom struggle to attend," Townsend continued. "Those voices are desperately needed, and brand support might be more welcome than logos plastered on the conference." In contrast to Coca-Cola's visibility, fossil fuel companies work behind the scenes to preserve the viability of their climate-harming products as nations deliberate on how to curb oil and gas production. More than 600 oil and gas industry lobbyists registered to attend COP27, marking a 25% increase from last year. Transparency is key To avoid accusations of greenwashing, brands should focus on transparently communicating their impact and what they're doing to mitigate it, according to Susanne Etti, environmental impact specialist at tour company Intrepid Travel. For the travel industry, that means making sure brands have a comprehensive decarbonization plan. Intrepid helped to launch the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism last year at COP26. This year, the brand participated in events that focused on how travel companies are working to comply with the declaration. So far, about 750 industry players have signed on. "This should not be a hollow pledge where we sign and then no one does anything," Etti told Adweek from her hotel room in Sharm El-Sheikh. "It's about developing climate action plan and [asking]: What does decarbonization look like?" Funding climate misinformation But advertisers also impact climate in another way: funding fake news outlets that spread lies about climate science. A report released today at COP27 outlines how climate misinformation—which proliferates on ad-supported platforms—is shaping public perception around the world. The paper, published by Climate Action Against Disinformation and the Conscious Ad Network, shows that between 55% and 85% of populations surveyed believe at least one climate misinformation statement included in the questionnaire. An open letter highlighting this report and addressed to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the COP27 Presidency and tech platforms was also published today. The letter, which asks platforms to adopt a universal definition of climate misinformation crafted by 18 NGOs, was signed by major holding companies and brands including Havas, IPG, Omnicom, dentsu, Patagonia, SKY and Virgin Media.

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As Global Emissions Keep Rising, Advertisers Grapple With the Industry's Role at UN Climate Talks

Advocates criticize the nature of some brands' sponsorship

Kathryn Lundstrom

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Kathryn Lundstrom