It’s safe to assume you’ll hear plenty of talk on sustainability in the GCC in the coming weeks, ahead of the UAE hosting COP28 in late November and December. The enduring challenge is turning all the words into action.
Any commitment to sustainability lasts a good deal longer than a COP conference, and finding lasting and meaningful solutions to complex issues involving climate change and reducing carbon emissions aren’t easy.
As advertisers and marketers, we have a dual responsibility – to get our own organisations’ environmental footprint in order when it comes to emissions-generating campaigns and internal energy use, while also clearly conveying to consumers the steps they can take to reduce their energy consumption and benefit the global environment in pursuit of Net Zero.
Sustainability is a new key pillar for the ABG, and we will be looking to capitalise on interest in COP28 to encourage environmental best practice and raise awareness. A new taskforce has been set up to drive change.
The group recently launched its new sustainability agenda and has successfully hosted two events to date.
The first event was a webinar with Maher Nasser, Director of Outreach in the United Nations Department of Global Communication who joined ABG members from the UN HQ in New York.
Nasser provided a comprehensive overview of the 17 sustainability development goals (SDGs) and outlined how marketing and advertising can be a force for change.
Even though the SDGs were formulated in 2015, they still have a major role to play eight years later, particularly as environmental and social challenges continue to multiply with wildfires, floods, rising inequality, human displacement and conflict.
He said: “I think it’s time to really change the way things are done.
“Industry, governments and everyone needs to double the effort to achieve the SDGs and ensure that commitments are genuine and serious, avoid greenwashing and superficial declarations.
“Many companies say they’re going to be sustainable but do not include the impact of their core business, which in some cases include fossil fuel extraction. Brands and companies are focused on maximising profit, but not maximising benefit to society.”
Alongside profit, it’s clear the industry must now focus on a new ‘p’: purpose.
Kantar recently shared insights from its Sustainable Marketing 2030 report. “It’s time for marketing to step up,” said William Stubbings, Director, Consulting SA. “It’s our responsibility – and we have the right skills.
The main challenge is we know how to do marketing – but we don’t know how to apply it to sustainability yet.”
Education and training are key parts of the jigsaw. A recent report from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) found 40 per cent of marketers would like to attain a marketing qualification for sustainability but don’t currently possess one, while 76 per cent are seeing their sustainability work increase and nearly half feel pressure in their role to communicate their company or clients’ sustainability credentials.
This is a clear gap that needs filling.
“ULTIMATELY SUSTAINABILITY MAKES SENSE FROM A COMMERCIAL VIEWPOINT”
Providing a strong bedrock of education and knowledge will help everyone, from graduates to seasoned pros, as we all walk down new paths towards decarbonisation.
It’s therefore vital that training modules are constantly introduced, implemented and updated to reduce the sustainability skills gap – a key agenda that ABG aims to tackle.
This is going to be a long and complex transition; we need to start making in-roads now. To address this the ABG will shortly be announcing a global partnership.
Ultimately sustainability makes sense from a commercial viewpoint. Businesses that are able to demonstrate their sustainability efforts not only retain top talent but attract new talent too.
Moreover, consumers will see through ‘greenwashing’ claims which don’t hold up and aren’t verifiable.
Priya Sarma, Communications Director of the ABG, said: “There is real momentum behind sustainability now and it’s vital that we capitalise on it, through our agenda and collaborating with partners, and look at ways to reduce our emissions and enact change.”
Campaign Middle East will be hosting its monthly Breakfast Briefing on the Out of Home industry on 10th November at the Grand Plaza Mövenpick, Media City, Dubai. To find out more click here.
