UK ad industry launches initiative to eliminate negative environmental impact of production

Leading players in the UK advertising industry recently launched AdGreen – a new initiative to eliminate the negative environmental impact of advertising production and reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

AdGreen is initiated by the Climate Action Working Group, a cross-industry alliance launched in January 2020 by the Advertising Association in partnership with ISBA and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA). The launch is supported by advertisers, agencies and production companies in the UK including adam&eveDDB, APR (Advertising Production Resources), Havas, MullenLowe Group as part of IPG, Sky, Unilever and WPP.

AdGreen aims to measure the carbon footprint of production and enable the industry to reduce emissions and act towards a zero carbon, zero waste future. It will also explore the possibility of establishing an international standard. AdGreen will provide guidance, tools and services to the advertising and production community from 2021, including a carbon footprint calculator which will incorporate carbon factors from over 140 countries.

Commenting on the launch, ISBA Director General Phil Smith, said: “The launch of AdGreen enables our members to go further, faster. Allowing them to target change where it can be most impactful in making production greener, promote and share best practice and drive a global standard in the process. Even in these challenging and unusual times, the time for action is now.”

Industry specialist Jo Coombes will lead AdGreen and will work in partnership with albert, BAFTA’s sustainability project for the TV and film industry in the UK. Industry associations including ISBA, IPA, the Advertising Producers Association (APA), the Association of Photographers (AOP) will coordinate member participation in this initiative.

For more information, contact AdGreen.