Environmental, social and governance (ESG) has become a standard part of ad agency reviews, but it’s unclear whether these efforts are yet leading to any meaningful change as it relates to sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion, or are more performative. 

To be sure, clients are increasingly asking ad agencies in reviews to be certified with certain business sustainability firms such as EcoVadis and Sedex, according to one consultant who spoke on the condition of anonymity, as they are not authorized to speak publicly about the reviews they oversee. 

And when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion—which falls under the social aspect of ESG—more companies are bringing in experts to assess agencies on the makeup of their teams and what commitments they’ve made to improve DE&I internally, the consultant said.

ESG, SDG, CER, GRI, FSC, LCA, WELL  Read More 

Lindsay Rittenhouse