PR agencies wield serious influence, but how can you use it to drive real climate impact? Here we reveal the proven actions that leading agencies are taking, highlight which ones actually save money whilst reducing carbon and give you some ways to get started quickly.
PR agencies and marketers wield influence not just within their own businesses, but through every campaign they create for clients. It's a power that comes with significant environmental impact - advertised emissions (the carbon generated from increased sales driven by marketing) are estimated at over 200 million tonnes annually in the UK alone.
As PR agencies are discovering they have a larger environmental footprint than they realised, it's also true there's a greater opportunity to drive positive change - and profit from it.
The business case is compelling: major clients increasingly demand sustainability credentials from their agency partners, operational efficiency measures deliver immediate cost savings and 63% of young creatives are uncomfortable working on high-carbon clients. Agencies that move decisively are gaining competitive advantages, while those that hesitate risk being left behind.
There are encouraging signs of collective momentum. Over 100 agencies have committed to Ad Net Zero, pledging to reach net zero emissions by 2030, pledging to reach net zero emissions by 2030. Yet with such significant influence over public conversations about climate change, the industry is still working out how to wield this power responsibly.
Our sustainability experts have analysed hundreds of transition plans and worked directly with PR agencies to create their carbon reduction plans. Through this research, we've identified the most popular actions agencies are implementing. One of the most common blockers we encounter is cost, but many of these actions actually deliver financial savings alongside environmental benefits. Here are some of the most popular:
These are just a snapshot of what's possible. Our platform contains 600+ actions, so there are always new opportunities to discover that align with your specific goals and priorities. Here are some of the most popular actions we've seen PR agencies implement, organized by theme - with many offering real cost savings alongside environmental impact.
Every firm will have a unique pathway depending on their operations, client base, and culture. The breadth of potential actions across these nine themes shows numerous entry points for any agency to begin their sustainability journey. There are two complementary types of interventions: direct decarbonisation actions (from small operational improvements to transformative changes) and enabling actions that shift mindsets and drive engagement.
For PR agencies, employee engagement and sustainable travel are particularly crucial given their people-centric model, whilst client engagement actions offer the most transformative opportunities. Many actions also deliver clear cost savings, strengthening the business case.
While working primarily with SMEs, we track what industry leaders are doing to identify trends that smaller agencies can adapt. Their approaches provide valuable insight into emerging trends and highlight the actions that forward-thinking agencies are prioritising as they work towards their net-zero commitments.
If you are a PR agency looking to uncover the actions that are most relevant to your business, then get in touch to find out how Giki Actions can help you. Book your 60-minute assessment here.