AAR has announced that it is inviting all agencies to report metrics on sustainability as part of their consultancy to clients that are reviewing their agency arrangements.
AAR has introduced this change in response to a greater focus from brand owners on agencies’ ESG credentials and as part of its commitment to sustainability and as a supporter of Ad Net Zero.
To date AAR has been collecting this data informally but has now adopted the Ad Net Zero measures to add to its agency partner database, including CO2e emissions, ESG initiatives and sustainable business travel policies as key criteria. This will add another lens through which brands can consider potential agency partners, alongside existing considerations such as relevant expertise, culture, capability, chemistry and experience.
George Porteous, Chief Strategy Officer at AAR, commented, “Sustainability is a major focus for many marketers just as it is for many agencies, and for AAR. We believe it’s important to use our influence to help brand owners access agencies leading the field in this area.”
Following a carbon audit and changes to AAR’s energy use, AAR has been net zero since March 2022.
Sebastian Munden, Chair of Ad Net Zero, and former Executive Vice President, Unilever UK & Ireland said, “This is a great development. I’m sure it will encourage sustainable best practice in ad operations across an even broader agency community. We need to move as fast as we can to make long-lasting changes to the carbon impact of the industry. This move is excellent news for every advertiser looking to be confident in the sustainability credentials of their advertising supply chain.”
