Sustainability Committee Thought Leadership

The ANA Sustainability Committee explored how to reduce the carbon footprint of digital ads, improve the effectiveness of advertising that highlights sustainability, and eliminate media waste to drive both environmental and business outcomes.

CARE shared how storytelling rooted in compassion, dignity, and accountability can drive both social and business outcomes. Through its “Who Cares?” campaign, the organization demonstrated how reframing sustainability narratives around individual human stories helps cut through apathy, build trust, and inspire action.

Ad Net Zero and Mastercard outlined how the Global Media Sustainability Framework is becoming a practical industry standard for measuring and reducing carbon emissions across media channels. The session detailed how collaboration, consistent methodology, and shared best practices are enabling advertisers to cut waste, improve performance, and embed sustainability into everyday marketing workflows.

Olly Lawder, senior strategy director at Revolt, a global strategic consultancy, shared new research revealing how sustainability silence affects financial performance, reputation, and authenticity — and outlined a strategic framework to help brands regain their voice.

The ANA’s new study shows how smarter media planning in connected TV can reduce carbon emissions and media waste while improving campaign performance.

During a December 2024 ANA Sustainability Committee meeting, L’Oréal shared how it created organizational alignment and the brands Kiehl’s and Maybelline discussed how their brand actions advanced corporate ambitions.

The Guardian shared insights from its proprietary sustainability research, highlighting how brand’s can fine tune messaging to inspire greater adoption of sustainable practices.

A new book by Sebastian Munden and Matt Bourn includes a manifesto for anyone in marketing and advertising to adopt, putting their skills to promoting better choices, disconnecting value-creation from more stuff, accelerating economic productivity, and growing the businesses that will be central to a sustainable economy.

In advance of its next meeting, the ANA's Sustainability Committee convened a special session with Michael Maslansky, founder of Maslansky + Partners, to discuss the current landscape of cultural sensitivity marketers are experiencing.

The Brand Finance Sustainability Perceptions Index quantifies the value of sustainability perceptions for the first time.

Boston Consulting Group highlighted some of the challenges to encouraging sustainable consumer choices and illustrated ways of overcoming those challenges.

A May 2023 meeting of the ANA’s Sustainability Committee convened a panel featuring Andy Batkin, CEO at Duration Media, and John Osborn, director at Ad Net Zero. The panel defined Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and examined the environmental harm done by programmatic media buying.

Public Good, Nestlé, and Trane Technologies joined the ANA Sustainability Committee to discuss how each of their organizations overcomes common barriers to sustainability storytelling.

Hellmann’s shared how it appealed to millennials through a purpose-driven campaign encouraging consumers to reduce food waste.

Burt’s Bees and Hellmann’s shared how they leveraged Public Good Software’s sustainability campaign framework to compel consumers to take eco-friendly actions.

At a February 2023 meeting of ANA’s Sustainability Committee, Jeff Fromm, author of The Purpose Advantage, advised brands on how to integrate a commitment to sustainability with the wholesome pursuit of profit.

At a September 2022 ANA committee meeting, the organization Ad Net Zero shared a plan for reducing the advertising industry’s carbon emissions.

Jeff Fromm, brand purpose evangelist and author of The Purpose Advantage, outlined why it’s critical to consider the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals when developing a purpose strategy and how that strategy can drive service, business, and cultural innovation through what he calls a “virtuous cycle.”

Sustainable Brands gave advice to consumers and brands looking to become more sustainable.

Sustainable Brands defined “sustainability” and “sustainable brand” and outlined an approach to becoming sustainable.