Over a year ago we joined a prestigious list of PR, advertising and creative agencies taking the Clean Creatives pledge and saying no to fossil fuel clients – brands drawing on energy sources formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals, primarily coal, oil and natural gas.
Shifting away from fossil fuel clients is an opportunity to lead our industry into a better future, and we couldn’t be prouder to join a likeminded community of change-makers sharing the same values as us.
But what is the Clean Creatives pledge – and why does it matter?
Fundamentally, fossil fuel advertising is contributing to the current climate emergency. Back in 2022, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gave a very clear warning: we must act now to avoid a climate disaster.
This statement made headlines, but it also offered hope. If we act now, we can inspire change. According to the IPCC, reducing carbon pollution and securing a liveable future for all can only be achieved if we implement “major transitions in the energy sector…[including] a substantial reduction in fossil fuel use.”
The IPCC continued by appealing directly to the PR and communications sector, saying that “media shapes the public discourse about climate mitigation” and calling for fossil fuel marketing to end. It even highlighted that a regular tactic employed by fossil fuel marketers is to use ‘climate-care statements’ – giving the (wrong) impression that these brands care for the planet and even deflect corporate responsibility onto individuals to make climate change feel like their personal responsibility.
Fossil fuels have long been a topic for discussion – and not for the right reasons. Roughly three quarters of all dangerous carbon pollution is caused by the energy sector, with no sign of slowing down. Sadly, fossil fuel pollution is responsible for approximately 8.7 million premature deaths every year.
Furthermore, the Paris Agreement – a legally binding international treaty signed by 196 parties at the United Nations Climate Change summit back in 2015 – aims to limit global warming to below two degrees Celsius through a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions; the use of fossil fuels fiercely contradicts this agreement and only goes to further emphasise the severe effects of climate change that are already taking place.
Signing a simple pledge may not seem like much, but we genuinely believe PR agencies have an amazing superpower to inspire change amongst our community. When Little Red Rooster secured B Corp status back in 2023, we were one of the very first PR agencies to do so. It seemed an enormous task – how could a service-based business, with no production line, no manufacturing process, no shipping procedure, do this? But now, according to recent figures published in PR Week in May this year, one in seven top PR firms is B Corp. There are multiple categories within various industry awards for agencies’ approaches to sustainability – our CEO Vic even had the honour of judging these for the PR Week People & Places Awards and was bowled over by the incredible work likeminded agency leaders are doing in this space.
It shows the value we place on our clients; we don’t accept work just for the sake of it, and we’re fortunate to cherry-pick the brands we work with. We can’t sell an idea to media if we don’t believe in it ourselves. We’re honoured to partner every single brand we work with and have worked incredibly hard over the years to build an enviable roster that draws on our founder’s passion for all things fashion, design, music, tech, audio and home interiors. We want to give our team brands they genuinely enjoy working on.
And, it demonstrates our values to prospective PR talent. We want to be an agency people want to work for. Every single Rooster plays a role and makes a difference. Our progressive company culture sits at the heart of all we do, and we resolutely believe being at an independent agency representing big brands gives you bragging rights you wouldn’t get at supersized firms. We’re proud of everyone who works for us, and in turn, we want them to be proud to work for us too.
As the Clean Creatives team put it: “Sustainability is about your clients, not your company.” We’re thrilled to be on the front line, building brands for the future and setting the stage for a pivotal moment in history that leads to a dramatic reduction in the impacts of climate change for generations to come.
You can find out more about taking the Clean Creatives pledge here: https://cleancreatives.org/
