Sustainability action is a powerful driver of business performance, not just compliance, with advertisers, agencies, media owners and tech platforms gaining a competitive advantage, according to a new tranche of data released by industry initiative Ad Net Zero from the past five years.
Launched in the UK in 2020 and internationally three years later across seven major chapters (US, Ireland, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and UAE), many of the biggest names in advertising and marketing – including Dentsu, Facebook, Google, Havas, Omnicom Media Group, Publicis Groupe, Sky, ITV, Unilever and WPP – signed up to support the initiative.
Headed by the Advertising Association, ISBA and the IPA, the scheme is designed to help the industry respond to the climate crisis.
It has consistently worked to help move the industry from individual initiatives to a unified, globally recognised framework for collective positive action.
New research among its UK supporter base reveals the compelling return on investment (ROI) for sustainable practices: 62% report achieving ‘stronger client or partner relationships’, while 52% cite ‘enhanced employee engagement or retention’ as a result of their sustainability action.
To accelerate this success across the entire advertising eco-system, Ad Net Zero is introducing a new membership structure for 2026: Supporter, Supporter+, and Accelerator. This tiered approach ensures any business in the advertising ecosystem can access what they need, when they need it, from foundational resources to advanced leadership projects, to capitalise on the momentum of the sustainable economy.
Ad Net Zero global chair Sebastian Munden said, “The data is undeniable: businesses leaning positively into sustainability are gaining a competitive advantage. They are building better relationships, driving staff engagement, and realising cost benefits through efficiency and waste reduction. The data shows the green economy is growing considerably faster than the rest of the economy, and Ad Net Zero supporters are fast capitalising on this exciting new business opportunity.”
The research reveals a clear link between resource commitment and performance. 86% of respondents with dedicated, full-time sustainability teams reported “stronger client or partner relationships,” versus only 36% of those relying solely on voluntary green teams.
Meanwhile, more than half (52%) of UK supporters achieved direct cost savings or operational efficiencies by reducing emissions, underscoring sustainability as a core efficiency strategy.
ITV director of client strategy and commercial marketing Kate Waters added: “ITV has been a committed supporter of Ad Net Zero since its UK launch. As the climate action programme marks its fifth anniversary, the commercial reasons for all those working in advertising to lean into sustainability are becoming ever clearer.
“Whether it’s through your advertising production, your choice of media distribution or the power of the advertising campaigns you can deliver to help accelerate change, the Ad Net Zero programme provides a place for sustainability knowledge to be shared, and for progress to be made. Going forward, we will be looking to fully assess all of the commercial opportunities and risks ahead associated with climate change, in order to be as fully future-ready as we can be. I encourage all others working in advertising to join Ad Net Zero and do the same.”
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