UK Media Agencies Sign Up for Carbon Reduction Charter

In recent years, the advertising and media sector has begun to wake up to its own contribution to the impact it makes on the environment, with networks such as WPP and Havas, among others, outlining their pledges to becoming net zero. Now, IPA, the U.K.'s agency membership body, has initiated a Media Charter that aims to help agencies calculate and reduce their carbon impact. It is estimated that the companies signed up to the charter account for $10 billion (7 billion pounds) worth of media billings annually. About the charter Created by the IPA Media Climate Action Group, the charter will be accessed through a website that will allow media agencies to form plans with a local carbon footprint. The charter has been developed to address the five areas outlined by the cross-industry initiative known as Ad Net Zero, which will “curb emissions from media planning, buying and distribution.” The calculator will help identify where media buyers can reduce their climate impact by calculating the carbon emissions associated with a specific media plan. This will use a range of data sources that will include DEFRA electricity emissions factors and device power outputs as well as energy intensity to determine the potential carbon footprint a media plan may produce. The IPA Media Climate Charter is funded and supported by the IPA Media Futures Group and other IPA media agencies including All Response Media, Carat, Essence, Goodstuff, Havas Media, Hearts + Science, Initiative UK, iProspect, MediaCom, MindShare Media UK, MG OMD, OMD, PHD Media, Spark Foundry, Starcom, The7Stars, The Kite Factory, UM, VCCP Media, Wavemaker and Zenith. Supporting the initiative is Media Bounty, which produced a report, titled “Change the Narrative,” that aims to help different sectors tackle climate misinformation and disinformation. Creating sustainable transformation IPA president Julian Douglas said the charter was a response by the industry to take action to make a “sustainable transformation.” “Most importantly, Climate Charter members will join a community of motivated media agencies, which together can solve problems, share lessons and inspire the 10 times change that we know is required,” Douglas said in a statement. The charter will also provide guidance, research and recommendations supporting other industry initiatives such as AdGreen and #ChangeTheBrief, which will also aim to lower agencies' carbon impact. “The U.K. government has set a net-zero target by 2050," said Rob McFaul, the chair of the IPA Media Climate Action Group and client director for Mindshare. "Many other business sectors have committed to collective action. For an industry that prides itself on being future facing, we have a clear opportunity to help bring a brighter future forward." The reports produced by Media Bounty will create a series that aims to help organizations invest their online advertising budgets and avoid funding climate misinformation. It has been produced in partnership with social media listening tool Pulsar and cybersecurity company Cheq. Mark Read on WPP's Net Zero Commitment and Advertising's Role During the Pandemic