Sustainability?
What planet are you on?

Today, the  group Clean Creatives released its annual F-List report, revealing 1,010 contracts between 590 advertising and PR agencies and over 400 fossil fuel companies. All contracts, dating from 2023 and 2024, were uncovered by Clean Creatives' lead researcher, Nayantara Dutta, with support from the strategic insights firm Source Nine.

“When it comes to climate and sustainability, much of the ad industry hasn’t moved on from the Mad Men era. They are still operating with the same assumptions and approaches they would have used in the 1970s,” Duncan Meisel, executive director of Clean Creatives, told ADWEEK. “Investment in clean energy is now double that in fossil fuels, but with their mindset fixed on fossil fuels, they are missing this crucial energy transition.”

The report was published just three months after United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres took the stage at the American Museum of Natural History in New York to condemn advertising and public relations agencies working with fossil fuel companies, calling them “mad men fuelling the madness.”

“Stop acting as enablers of planetary destruction,” Guterres told the audience. “Stop taking on new fossil fuel clients from today and set out plans to drop your existing ones.”

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A more comprehensive view of the advertising industry

Clean Creatives, founded in 2020 as a project of Fossil Free Media, aims to pressure advertising and PR agencies to cut ties with fossil fuel clients due to their significant role in driving global warming. Over 1,200 agencies have signed the campaign’s pledge to refuse work with fossil fuel companies. The first F-List, named after the A-List of agencies published annually by Ad Age, was launched in 2021 and listed 90 firms.

However, while the number of agencies with fossil fuel ties has grown, this isn’t because these contracts are increasing, according to the group. Many of these connections are not listed on agency websites but instead found in hard-to-access documents. The nonprofit has simply improved its methods of uncovering them through public filings, LinkedIn’s ad library, creative portfolios, PR agency directories, and lobbying databases. Each contract is verified with at least three different sources to ensure accuracy.

“This is undoubtedly the most comprehensive list we’ve ever published,” Meisel stated. “We’ve added dozens of new data sources, and I believe we’re very close to the point where there are simply no more contracts that we could possibly uncover.”

Clean Creatives is targeting three distinct audiences in its communication strategy surrounding the launch of the F-List.

First, it aims to reach executive-level leadership within the agencies listed in the report, hoping they will read it and recognise how their work impacts the climate.

Second, the focus is on employees of those agencies, given the influence of this work on their workplace and future, Meisel explained.

Lastly, the group is addressing major advertisers with strong climate records, encouraging them to review their agency relationships to ensure alignment with their values.

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Sustainability Takes a Back Seat‍

An employee from a holding company-owned agency, which is listed in the report and spoke to ADWEEK on the condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the “initial shock value” of the list may have diminished in its fourth year.

“It’s still a necessary reminder to hold the industry accountable as it continues with business as usual,” they noted, mentioning that work related to two major oil and gas clients is “alive and well” at their agency.

“Sustainability doesn’t seem to be a business priority any longer,” they added.

Last year, Havas Media made headlines for securing Shell’s media account, a move that resulted in four of its sister agencies losing their hard-earned B Corp status after other certified companies and activist groups, including Clean Creatives, filed complaints. This news sent shockwaves through sustainability circles, given the holding company’s stated commitment to advancing climate progress.

“Our research indicates that holding companies are not making the necessary progress to divest from fossil fuels,” said Dutta, Clean Creatives’ research director, in a statement. “Independent agencies are twice as likely as holding companies to end fossil fuel contracts, whether this is intentional or due to losing the business.”

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For an increasing number of consumers, sustainability is becoming a top priority when deciding how and where to spend their money.

With the World Meteorological Organisation forecasting record-breaking global temperatures over the next five years, more individuals are seeking ways to 'go green' and minimise their environmental impact. In the U.K., for example, 75% of the population agrees that adopting more sustainable lifestyles is vital for the survival of future generations.

In response, marketers and brands are leveraging their influence to encourage sustainable consumer choices.

This could involve promoting products with sustainability certifications, offering reusable or refillable options, and utilising tools like Google's recycling features to emphasise their commitment to waste reduction.

"As marketers, we have a tremendous opportunity to make sustainability more accessible and help foster social norms that promote environmentally conscious lifestyles," says Nadia James, sustainability marketing program manager at Google.

"Recycling is one of the most frequently searched sustainability topics worldwide, and it's just one example of eco-friendly practices we can help consumers adopt and turn into everyday habits."

By using storytelling, creativity, and impactful messaging, marketers can inspire behaviour change and demonstrate how simple it can be to adopt greener habits.

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Rebranding climate change

Climate change has an image problem. As marketers, we need to rebrand it, not as a problem, but as an opportunity to inspire positive behaviour change and build brands centred around sustainability.

We should focus on fostering a sense of urgent optimism. Climate action is something everyone should engage with today, and we need to reframe it as something people are eager to embrace—something easy, aspirational, and effortless.

Living more sustainably can seem unfamiliar and challenging, so incorporating messages about climate-related benefits into campaigns can normalise climate action in a meaningful way. Not too subtle or dull—otherwise, it risks becoming what I call "green wallpaper"—but bold and engaging.

The "Change a Little, Change a Lot" campaign we worked on with McDonald's is a good example. The idea is that individually, we may not make much of an impact, but if we all make small changes, together we can create a big difference. If everyone who visits McDonald's does the right thing, like recycling, collectively that makes a real impact.

That’s an example of a brand embracing its role in addressing climate change, in a way that is simple, accessible, and empowering to people. They made it an obvious choice.

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Use the power of nudge

Marketeers create demand. In many ways, they even shape customer preferences.

A food and beverage company could promote its plant-based alternatives, or take it a step further by offering them as the default choice. This is an example of a nudge — a powerful tool that uses subtle influence techniques to encourage people to make the right choices, without restricting their options. For instance, a restaurant might feature an all-vegetarian menu, while still allowing customers the option to add meat to their order.

Research shows that when non-meat options are presented as the default, most consumers are far more likely to choose them. Many will even stick with these climate-friendly options over the long term.

Marketers can also use reward substitution. If the action itself doesn’t feel rewarding enough, you can introduce an unrelated incentive to make it more attractive. For example, turning a recycling bin into a slot machine that rewards points each time someone recycles. The aim is to make the better choice more immediately appealing than the easier one.

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Keep up with the conversation

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There’s an overwhelming amount of information and a unique vocabulary associated with sustainability. One of the major challenges for brands is truly understanding this lexicon, how it’s evolving, and how everything interconnects.

You can use tools that analyse search trends, but it takes time for a trend to build momentum and become mainstream. So, it’s important to combine these tools with real-time conversations on social media, in the news, with people you know, and through contacts you make on your website.

When determining how to make your brand stand out in searches, remember that the meaning of words can be subjective. For one person, the terms “sustainability” and “regeneration” may have distinct meanings, but for someone else, they might be interchangeable. You’ll need to decide how these words relate to one another and how they align with your brand.

Take the time to reflect on the words you want to be associated with your brand, and ensure you’re creating valuable content around those terms to reinforce that connection.

However, also make sure that content is adaptable to keep pace with shifting trends. For instance, ‘greenhushing’ is a new term we identified that resonated with our brand, and we recently created some successful content around it.

To do this effectively, you need to stay closely connected to current conversations around sustainability as they’re happening right now.

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A sustainable brand is one that integrates environmental, economic, and social concerns into its business practices. However, many companies claiming to be sustainable only meet part of this definition. The communications industry has struggled to preserve the integrity of this concept, as the term "sustainable" is often used solely in reference to environmental issues. Working with sustainable brands, though, focusing on environmental sustainability is a good starting point.

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There is hope.

More businesses are addressing social issues within their environmental sustainability programs as they recognise how interconnected these areas are. Companies have come to realize that addressing only one aspect of sustainability is ineffective.

Today, over 90% of CEOs believe that sustainability is essential for business success. This mindset is evident in how companies prioritise sustainability in their strategies. Examples of sustainability initiatives include:

• Developing eco-friendly products and services
• Creating roles like Chief Sustainability Officer
• Publishing sustainability reports

This trend appears to be well-established. In fact, 88% of business school students view environmental and social issues as top priorities in business. Furthermore, more first-time entrepreneurs are launching companies with a focus on environmental protection. This has led to the emergence of startups that specialise in durable, eco-friendly, and recycled products.

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The drive for sustainability must come from the heart.

My optimism comes from the fact that the desire to create a sustainable society runs deeper than just trends. While technology has transformed many aspects of our world, it is useless without a strong human response. We can present visuals of environmental damage and share studies about plastic pollution in the oceans, but progress will only be made when we appeal to the emotional core of the issue.

The challenge is helping business owners develop a personal connection to these concerns, especially if they don't see an immediate financial return on sustainability investments. Overcoming this hurdle is essential for organisations to fully commit to sustainability.

On the other hand, there are businesses founded by environmentally conscious individuals. Many of these companies were started by people who made bold life changes, such as leaving their jobs to pursue a cause. The growth of these socially and environmentally aware companies is truly inspiring.

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Consumers are increasingly ready to support sustainable brands.

In my experience, millennials, in particular, are more cautious about how they spend their money compared to previous generations. However, when they do choose to spend, many gravitate toward brands that promote social good, embrace sustainable manufacturing, and adhere to ethical business practices.

A report from Shelton Group emphasises that it's crucial for brands to take a stand on social issues. Their study, “Brands & Stands: Social Purpose is the New Black,” found that 86% of consumers want companies to advocate for social causes, and 64% are more likely to purchase from brands that do so. Nielsen’s 2015 Global Corporate Sustainability Report revealed that 66% of consumers would pay more for products from sustainable brands, with 73% of millennials sharing this view. Similarly, Horizon Media’s Finger on the Pulse study showed that 81% of millennials expect companies to publicly demonstrate their corporate citizenship.

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It's clear that consumers prefer sustainable brands.

However, without clear communication about your brand's sustainability efforts, they may turn to competitors. Be mindful of the messaging you share in press releases, on social media, and in overall brand perception to ensure that consumers understand your values.

Sustainability is more than just being green. Brands must realise that sustainability encompasses environmental, economic, and social factors, all of which are crucial for a comprehensive strategy.

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