Case Study: How MSQ Turned Measurement into Action

How internal allies, hotspots, and procurement insights are key components for getting on track for emissions reductions.

The restructured Sustainability Team at global advertising and marketing firm MSQ marked a significant step in deepening the company's sustainability expertise. Just under a year into the job, Neil Clark (Head of Sustainability) has successfully navigated the challenges of understanding MSQ's emissions footprint across a complex, acquisition-driven business structure.

The Challenge

As the sole full time sustainability professional in a mid-sized global advertising company, Neil faced a daunting task: to comprehensively measure the company's carbon emissions, establish a baseline for Science-Based Target initiatives (SBTi), and identify key reduction opportunities.

"I need to understand our emissions footprint, with historic years, to drive reductions, and achieve our SBTi," explains Neil. "This is a massive job, I am the only person working on this on a daily basis, and I need this data to achieve my longer-term goals of reduction through our SBTi commitment."

The Solution

Neil's strategy was straightforward but effective: team up with the right people across the business who could help gather and analyze the necessary data while creating win-win scenarios that benefited multiple departments.

"I needed full visibility of company emissions to get buy in and create the business case for more emissions reductions initiatives," says Neil.

Building Strategic Partnerships

Finance Team Collaboration

The Finance Director became a crucial ally in Neil's efforts, helping to collect data from MSQ's various agencies worldwide.

"From a finance point of view, we have this fixed asset register, which covers all the laptops, all the furniture, all the TVs, all the big assets that have ever been purchased," Neil explains. "This has to be put in a fixed asset register, in order to then be depreciated properly. And that's just absolutely gold dust from a sustainability emissions perspective."

IT Department Engagement

The IT department played a vital role, particularly as technology represents a material part of MSQ's footprint. Their involvement proved valuable for both emission calculations and creating sustainable IT practices.

Key Accomplishments

Scope 1 Emissions

Neil identified which offices depend on gas for heating, providing a clear picture of direct emissions sources and potential areas for intervention.

Scope 2 Emissions

"In scope 2, all utilities data is now collected, so now we know which offices use renewables, which don't, which could switch, and where this isn't an option, what the blockers are," Neil reports.
This comprehensive approach has revealed practical solutions, including "influencing the landlord, moving office space or purchasing energy attribute certificates”, where necessary.

Scope 3 Emissions

The most challenging aspect of emissions accounting has yielded impressive results:

"I've got literally hundreds of thousands of lines of actual transactions which we've been going through," says Neil. "We've got some nice code that our data team are writing to pull out categories. This is going to massively simplify it."

This effort has provided visibility into emissions from various sources:

• Legal services
• Freelancers
• Insurance
• Software licenses
• Travel
• Food and drink
• Capital goods (laptops, electronics, etc.)
  

Sustainable IT Practices

Working with a disposal partner for laptops has created multiple benefits:

"We're getting the reporting back this week, so that will tell us two things. It will be the emissions-based reporting, but will also be the reporting for if we get any money back for the assets that they've taken, which should be interesting, because then that's incentive for our IT team and our finance teams to do more of it."

Carbon Removals

Looking forward, MSQ wants to align carbon removal efforts more closely with the business, "for example investing in sustainable aviation fuel."

Next Steps

As data and insights are reported back to the business, Neil's focus is shifting to prioritizing actions that address emissions hotspots. The comprehensive baseline now enables the company to make informed decisions about where to invest time and resources for maximum impact.

Key Takeaways for SMEs

1. Find internal allies: Identify departments like Finance and IT that can provide crucial data and support
2. Create mutual benefits: Frame sustainability initiatives as opportunities that bring advantages to multiple teams
3. Understand your hotspots: Visibility creates the foundation for targeted, effective action
4. Prioritize: Use emissions hotspots to guide where you focus first
5. Consider sustainability in procurement: From office space to technology, each choice impacts your emissions profile

This case study demonstrates that even with limited dedicated sustainability resources, a strategic approach can yield significant results in understanding and preparing to reduce carbon emissions across a complex business structure.