Did you know that that listed companies are responsible for 40% of all climate-warming emissions?
That’s a pretty shocking statistic, considering how important sustainability is today. However, there’ is only so much the average person can do in the fight for sustainability.
That’s why media agencies, who have the eyes and ears of CEOs, need to lead by example and communicate to their clients and peers what they can do to be more sustainable. Here’s how:
6 ways media agencies can be more sustainable
1. Travel with the planet in mind
There’s no doubt that travel is a big part of agency life, whether that be your daily commute to work or travelling across the country to meet a client, which is why we must consider how we can travel with the planet in mind.
Hybrid and remote working is one easy way for agencies to combat emissions from travel, so employees don’t have to travel in every day. Plus, it’s been proven to enhance employee well-being and enhance productivity!
One great idea is cycle to work schemes, which have been becoming increasingly popular over the last few years. After all, your employees are always going to be more motivated to travel sustainably if they feel like they are being rewarded for their good deeds.
Another way agencies can travel more sustainably is through FLYGRN, an app which helps you fly eco-friendly, and could be great for agency travel going forward. When booking a flight with FLYGRN, they will offset carbon emissions for free by planting trees or investing in solar panel projects.
2. Create an eco-friendly office environment
Sustainability may not be the first thing on everyone’s mind while in the office, given all the tight deadlines and client meetings etc, but it doesn’t mean that once we’re at work we should forget all about it.
By creating a workplace with an ethical, eco-friendly culture, you are already making difference. This might be as simple as enforcing proper recycling rules and introducing food waste bins.
Another way media agencies can become more environmentally friendly is by joining the ever-growing list of brands switching to solar energy to power offices.
One non-profit company that’s paving the way in sustainable practice is clothing brand ‘Patagonia’, who on top of going fully solar-powered, also donate 1% of their revenue to environmental charities.
Patagonia’s owner has also recently transferred the company to a non-profit, with future profits going to the Holdfast Collective which is dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis, making the planet their ‘only shareholder’.
3. Become a B-Corp
We wish that we could stop climate change all on our own, but sometimes you need a little help from your friends.
That’s why we decided to partner with B-Lab to become a B-Corp agency, which is a business that is a leader in sustainability, social performance, and employee benefits.
Now, we are asking other agencies to join us and many, many more in becoming a B-Corp so we can all work towards one common goal of better industry for everyone.
4. Consider other ways to make a difference
We would also recommend everyone to sign up and read the quarterly Ad Net Zero report, to keep up to date with the all the way’s the media industry is changing to become more sustainable.
For other ways you can make a difference outside of the office, look at ‘Ecologi’, an organisation we’ve partnered with that plants trees for every sale we make. This means that as we keep working, our forest keeps growing, and our work is making a difference – not just to clients.
5. Support charities tackling climate change
Of course, these may not be practical options for your business – but a workplace that encourages its employees to use these eco-friendlier options is still having an impact.
In that spirit, here’s a list of charities that are focused on tackling climate change that you can donate to today:
6. Use sustainable processes
Here at Join the Dots, we are very much a data driven media agency, with print being one of many activation channels we can access to help our clients grow – which is why we take extra measures to make sure everything we print is sustainable and eco-friendly.
We carbon-balance all our print and make use of FSC certified paper to assure clients that their campaign will be environmentally friendly and socially responsible. We also offer vegetable ink to clients, should they want to go that extra mile.
But that’s not all we do. We also ensure all the data we work with is as clean as possible to reduce environmental repercussions. Did you know that dark data takes uses up energy to store? Plus we use precise targeting to minimise waste, allowing us to send out campaigns to the right recipients.
If you’d like to find out more about print media and the environment, check out this blog to learn how to choose sustainable print media companies.
Want to Join the Dots to make the world more sustainable?
As a B-Corporation that recently hit net zero, here at Join the Dots we are super passionate about fighting climate change and making sure our campaigns don’t cost the Earth.
We take pride in our sustainability – but we’re not stopping here. In fact, our next goal is to reach zero carbon and eliminate carbon emissions entirely!
We know we can’t stop climate change alone, and that’s why we want to use our position to encourage as many media agencies, clients, and people to join us our journey to becoming carbon neutral.
So, if you’re curious about how you make a difference in helping make this world more sustainable – and how your media campaigns can play a part – contact us today to find out how you can help to make a difference.
