The Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) has launched a new manifesto on ‘Climate and Sustainability’, its seventh manifesto aiming to inspire conscious advertising choices.
The manifesto outlines numerous commitments all agencies should make to fulfil climate and sustainability standards, including working to receive a number of certifications such as the Ad Net Zero Essentials certificate and Carbon Literacy Project certification, among others, and asking questions about internal practices relating to whether clients have interests in fossil fuels and if an agency’s ads and messaging consider promoting greener behaviours.
The manifesto also asks companies to become more climate literate, to consciously invest in climate journalism and related content, and to set safeguards to ensure advertising is not financing climate misinformation, such as through programmatic advertising.
In a statement, CAN co-founders Harriet Kingaby and Jake Dubbins said: “Climate change is the biggest challenge of our generation and it’s important that advertisers are doing everything they can to ensure we meet our goals under the Paris Climate Agreement and keep warming to under 1.5 degrees.
“That means considering the impact of everything we do and make, including what our media spend funds and the norms that we project on screen.
“Advertising can have a huge role to play in changing hearts and minds about climate, defunding the disinformation economy, and decarbonising our operations, but we must act now.”
The manifesto was created alongside a team of climate and industry professionals including Friends of Earth, Havas Media Group, SSE, Ipsos, Virgin Media O2, and Purpose Disruptors.
Other manifestos developed by CAN include on the topics of hate speech, dis/misinformation, diversity and inclusion, children’s wellbeing, informed consent, and advertising fraud.
The full manifesto can be read here.
