Whilst local weather change turns into extra devastatingly obvious—and Massive Oil’s position in it more and more irrefutable—main polluters like Exxon, Shell, BP, Chevron and Saudi Aramco nonetheless have the world’s greatest promoting and public relations corporations of their nook.
Business activist group Clear Creatives right this moment launched its third annual F-Listing, which names 294 businesses that labored for fossil gas firms in 2022 and 2023. It recognized these relationships via public disclosures, lobbying stories, company web sites, awards submissions, portfolio websites and LinkedIn.
The F-Listing is “proof that we nonetheless have an issue that must be solved,” mentioned Nayantara Dutta, researcher for Clear Creatives and writer of the report. “Regardless of the entire carbon targets and web zero pledges, the promoting and advertising trade nonetheless promotes fossil gas polluters.”
Constructing fossil-free momentum
Based in 2020 as a marketing campaign of Fossil Free Media, Clear Creatives goals to chop fossil gas firms off from the expertise and experience of the promoting and PR trade.
It argues that given Massive Oil’s observe document of involving its advert and PR companions in its efforts to cover important science from the general public, lie about its impression on local weather, and deliberately sow disinformation associated to international warming, businesses that care about local weather would do effectively to remain away.
To date, over 700 businesses, 1,900 particular person creatives and 55 creators have signed Clear Creatives’ pledge to show down work for fossil gas firms, commerce associations or entrance teams.
Because the group was researching this yr’s F-Listing, it observed a number of modifications. First, businesses have been eradicating webpages highlighting their work for fossil gas shoppers. Second, that work for carbon-intensive shoppers is migrating from huge businesses to smaller, boutique, regional retailers.
“Each of these developments are only a signal of the stigma rising,” mentioned Duncan Meisel, government director of Clear Creatives. “[Working for fossil fuel clients is] much less palatable, much less thrilling, much less attention-grabbing to younger creatives. And so that you form of have to cover it.”
The report demonstrates progress towards its purpose in some areas. VaynerMedia and Media.Monks break up with all fossil gas shoppers after they have been named within the 2021 and 2022 F-Listing stories.
