WFA names first-ever co-chairs for Planet Pledge

Dale Green, Global Director, Purpose Marketing at Mars, and Preeti Srivastav, Group Sustainability Director at Asahi Europe & International, have been named as the first ever co-chairs of the WFA’s Planet Pledge.

Their brief will be to drive uptake for the CMO-led framework and encourage marketers around the world to push sustainable growth strategies and behaviour change both internally and externally.

Since its inception in spring 2021, 32 global brands have signed up to the pledge, representing nearly $60bn in approximate annual marketing spend, with many more talking to WFA about signing. The latest companies to commit to the pledge are AB InBev, Nissan and Schneider Electric.

They join the 28 National Associations who are Planet Pledge partners, helping companies that operate in their markets to also use the power of marketing to drive climate action.

In their new roles, Preeti and Dale will work to galvanise engagement with the sustainability agenda across all WFA Forums and help shape the organisation’s strategic agenda on key topics including sustainability and ESG more broadly. 

They will chair Planet Pledge member meetings, encouraging all signatories to share their successes and failures, and help ensure that these sessions surface the challenges and opportunities inherent in the relationship between marketing and a sustainable future for all. They will also contribute to key industry events through the year and act as ambassadors for how the industry can be part of the solution to the climate emergency.

The appointments are part of an ambitious programme for 2023, which includes the launch of Sustainable Marketing 2030 at Global Marketer Week in Istanbul. Produced in partnership with Kantar’s Global Sustainable Transformation Practice, the report features the views of CMOs, sustainability industry experts and more than 900 senior marketers from 46 countries.

Other goals for the year include improvements in capability and knowledge of signatories via the dedicated Planet Pledge capability tool and an enhanced library of case studies.

“We are delighted that Preeti and Dale have agreed to take on this important role and help us highlight the huge potential for marketing to play its part in the sustainability agenda. They add significant expertise to our efforts and can inspire members and non-members with their experience of delivering growth alongside real improvements for people and the planet,” said Stephan Loerke, CEO WFA.

“A collaborative marketing & sustainability strategy can accelerate, amplify and be a force for good towards creating a legacy that we can be proud of. At Asahi, sustainability and marketing are working closely to ensure that we engage, partner, and connect with our employees, consumers, partners and suppliers in a meaningful way,” said Preeti Srivastav of Asahi Europe. “The WFA Planet Pledge is helping bring these indispensable levers of sustainability & marketing together and I am looking forward to working with all the leaders involved, along with my fellow Co-Chair Dale Green, to help drive the Planet Pledge forward together.”

“At Mars, we are committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions across our full value chain, including all of our scope 3 emissions. That’s why we’re partnering with peers and working collaboratively on the opportunities to reduce emissions in our marketing and advertising. We know that we need to make every corner of our business more sustainable and that we must act today if we’re to have impact on climate change. I look forward to helping lead the WFA’s Planet Pledge initiative alongside Preeti and other like-minded member companies to share best practices, identify where we can make a difference and encourage adoption,” said Dale Green from Mars.

Being part of the Planet Pledge is not a simple commitment. The whole business needs to commit to being a champion for the UN’s global Race to Zero campaign, something that requires C-Suite approval.

The ask of marketers is that they then:

1. Ask their marketing partners to join them on the Race to Zero campaign;
2. Scale the capability of marketing organisations to lead for climate action by providing tools and guidance for their marketers and agencies;
3. Harness the power of their marketing communications to drive more sustainable consumer behaviours; and
4. Reinforce a trustworthy marketing environment, where sustainability claims can be easily substantiated so that consumers can trust the marketing messages as they seek to align their own consumption with their values.

The three latest members of the Pledge, AB InBev, Nissan and Schneider Electric, have all committed to using the power of marketing to drive sustainable climate action.

“Beer is inclusive, local and natural. This is why AB InBev is committed to creating positive impact in the world by driving decarbonization and building climate resilience. We’re pleased to join WFA’s Planet Pledge, building on our years of brand initiatives like Budweiser brewed with 100% renewable electricity or Corona’s net-zero plastic footprint and countless other work, we will continue to dreaming big to create a future with more cheers,” said Marcel Marcondes, Chief Marketing Officer at AB InBev.

“We are very excited to be joining the Planet Pledge and ensuring that Nissan’s marketing organisation takes the lead in ensuring that sustainability is forefront in our minds as we develop new vehicles and other products. Nissan has a strong heritage in this area, starting in 1947 with the first electric delivery truck, the Tama and then pioneering the accessible mass production electric car in 2010 with the Leaf. We are delighted to become part of a coalition for progress across all categories and countries,” said Ponz Pandikuthira, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Nissan.

“At Schneider Electric, we are driven by our meaningful purpose to bridge progress and sustainability for all. What is unique about Schneider is we are both a sustainability practitioner and a sustainability technology solution provider. We are pleased to join WFA Planet Pledge to continue our collaboration with our partners, customers and communities in accelerating our impact towards a more sustainable and equitable world.” said Chris Leong, Chief Marketing Officer, Schneider Electric.