Ad Net Zero, the global climate action programme for the advertising industry, announced today that Dr. Bill Wescott will serve as lead climate science and policy advisor and chair of the Ad Net Zero Climate Science Advisory Group.
Wescott’s role will ensure that the Ad Net Zero programme embodies best practice in climate science, policy, and regulation. Wescott’s remit will support the ad industry to accelerate climate action, both through decarbonising the entire ad value chain and inspiring behavioural change through the campaigns created.
Wescott will chair the Climate Science Advisory Group, part of the new governance structure for Ad Net Zero as we grow in supporters and geographical regions. Bill will serve as co-chair of the Ad Net Zero US working group 5 on behaviour change – ‘Harness Advertising’s Power to Support Consumer Behaviour Change’. In addition, he will collaborate with the leading global regulatory and standards organisations focused on climate, including WRI, BSI, SBTi and Race to Zero. Additional responsibilities include chairing the Climate Science Expert Group which is supporting the new Ad Net Zero/GARM global greenhouse gas life cycle assessment standard to estimate emissions for ad campaigns, and representing Ad Net Zero at both advertising and sustainability conferences.
Sebastian Munden, Ad Net Zero global Chair said: “We are delighted to welcome Bill to Ad Net Zero. He brings a wealth of climate change and sustainability expertise to our team and has a formidable track record of practical delivery in many of the key areas critical to progress. It is essential our work is aligned with the very best climate science and is supportive and in step with sustainability best practice across the economy. Bill brings the ability to translate the complex into a compelling narrative for change.”
Wescott added: “The ad sector can play a vital role in accelerating climate action, and I am very pleased to help Ad Net Zero lead the charge. I’ve been analyzing the dependence of environmental outcomes on behaviour since my graduate student days many years ago, and advertising has superpowers to change behaviour. Their rocket ship has $775 billion per year of global spend to propel it. That’s a lot of insight, a lot of power, and a lot of responsibility.
“While I have had many amazing opportunities over the past four decades, I am particularly excited to work with Ad Net Zero as they rapidly create meaningful impact at a global level. This work enables ad professionals to activate every person’s “power of me” as an individual consumer and “power of we” as a member of groups at work, in communities, and in society. While advertisers know everything about product placement, we can help them prioritise “planet placement” so that any ad can reflect the need for climate action in some way.”
