Cannes Lions: The International Festival of Creativity is widely regarded as the global benchmark for creative excellence and the festival has been recognising the world’s best creative work every year since 1954. For the first time in 2023, the Festival introduced sustainability criteria in every award entry. For 2024, this sustainability data will now be available for the jury to see. This is such an important progression towards making every ad a green ad, and the Cannes Lions team will be using the entry data to report on how the industry is making progress on embedding sustainability into its work.
This data will continue to allow the Cannes Lions team, with Ad Net Zero input, to analyse the entries, see how and where the industry is taking steps to be more sustainable, and open the debate about when and how this is further embedded as standard criteria in award entries.
Please note: for 2024 entries, this will still be an optional set of questions.
Submissions for 2024 are now closed. For information on how to enter your work, head to the Cannes Lions webpage.
Watch this space for our 2025 programme.
Cannes LIONS first sustainability progress report is now available. The report recognises the global growth of Ad Net Zero as a consistent sustainability framework for our industry. It uses our 5-Point Action Plan to outline where we are seeing encouraging signs, the data lying behind this, and case studies showing the progress LIONS has seen in the last 12 months.
Introduction to Ad Net Zero Action Plan
Ad Net Zero is a climate action programme to help the advertising industry tackle the climate emergency by decarbonising ad operations and supporting every industry to accurately promote sustainable products and services. Originally founded by the Advertising Association in partnership with the IPA and ISBA, Ad Net Zero launched its 5-point action plan in the UK in November 2020 and has since gained over 100 UK supporters. The action plan aims to achieve net zero emissions in ad development, production, and media placement, as well as use advertising’s positive influence to help shift consumers towards more sustainable behaviour.
Action 1 – Reduce Emissions from Advertising Business Operations
Action 1 aims to reduce emissions from the operations of advertising businesses. It calls for agencies and marketing services companies to annually measure consumption data, for example, electricity usage, business travel, waste production, so you can reduce your operational carbon emissions.
Action 2 – Reduce Emissions from Advertising Production
All agencies and production companies – with client support – will be encouraged to commit to reducing emissions from advertising production. AdGreen, an advertising production sustainability initiative, is one example of how Action 2 can be implemented. It provides information and tools to support the industry in this transition, including a carbon calculator and sustainability training.
One example of Action 2 implementation is AdGreen, an advertising production sustainability initiative. AdGreen provides valuable information and tools to support the industry in this transition, including a carbon calculator and sustainability training.
Action 3 – Reduce Emissions from Media Planning & Buying
Media agencies, media owners and clients will be encouraged to work together to develop and implement lower carbon media plans. Ad Net Zero is currently developing a consistent data framework and methodology to calculate the emissions from media planning and buying.
Click here to view the latest Global Media Sustainability Framework
Action 4 – Reduce Advertising Emissions Through Awards and From Events
Action 4 of the Ad Net Zero plan challenges industry awards bodies to ensure that the sustainability credentials and climate impact of campaigns inform judging.
In 2023, sustainability criteria were introduced into every award entry at Cannes Lions. Ad Net Zero will work closely with the Cannes Lions team, to help analyse patterns in the awards entries and see how and where the industry is taking steps to be more sustainable.
Action 4 also encourages organisers of events and conferences to put sustainability at the forefront of planning, seeking in particular to curtail long-distance travel, where possible. We have partnered with isla – dedicated to supporting the events industry’s transition to a sustainable future.
Action 5 – Harness Advertising’s Power To Support Behaviour Change
We firmly believe the advertising industry’s brilliant creativity should be used to drive positive change, in every sector of the economy. Action 5 is focused on harnessing advertising’s power to support behaviour change. Initiatives like #ChangetheBrief are recommended to provide advertisers with more sustainable solutions to their campaign briefs.
