Marketing professionals should acquaint themselves with the UN's Speed to Zero Campaign race, a global initiative aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.
Shifting Tide for Marketers: Sustainability in 2023
Brace yourself, marketers! The sustainability game is about to change in 2023.
Get ready for the latest updates to the guidelines from the United Nations-backed Race to Zero campaign, set to drop in June. These new rules will focus on client disclosure and advertised emissions, shaking up the marketing world. At Adweek's Sustainable Leadership Forum, Futerra's Solitaire Townsend, Assembly Global’s Gaby Sethi, and Adweek's Jameson Fleming shared their insights on how these changes will impact agencies globally.
Sustainability in Advertising
The Race to Zero is gearing up to carve a path for non-state actors, like businesses and individuals, to join the Paris Agreement and contribute meaningfully to its goal of attaining net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Embracing the Blueprint
Aligning with globally recognized sustainability frameworks[2], the Race to Zero advocates for businesses to commit to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, encompassing Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions. Although specific 2023 updates under the Race to Zero campaign aren't laid out, these key recommendations provide a blueprint for best practices in sustainability reporting and transparency:
- Public Net-Zero Commitment: Companies should publicly declare their intention to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, considering all relevant emission scopes[2].
- Clear Emissions Targets Disclosure: Businesses are encouraged to disclose their definition of net-zero, as well as the principles and methodologies used to establish their targets[2].
- Transparent Emissions Coverage: Companies should communicate the scope of emissions included in their targets, ensuring that stakeholders are kept fully informed[2].
With these guidelines in mind, marketers can expect a shift towards greater transparency and accuracy in emissions reporting as the Race to Zero campaign continues to drive progress towards a sustainable future. Stay tuned for more updates!
Marketers need to anticipate an evolution in the sustainability landscape as the Race to Zero campaign plans to reveal new guidelines focused on client disclosure and advertised emissions in June 2023. Given the upcoming Race to Zero's emphasis on net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 as per the Paris Agreement, environmental science, and business analysts will likely see increased interest in best practices for environmental-science reporting and climate-change transparency within the finance and advertising sectors.
