OMB Medical Co.

As the pharma industry buckles down to reduce its carbon footprint — with some committing to zero emissions as early as 2025 — so is the advertising industry. Ad Net Zero, an initiative based in the UK and Ireland, has tapped former OMD US and BBDO New York CEO John Osborn to lead its extension to the US. The US director will be charged with spreading the word about Ad Net Zero’s five-part plan to reduce emissions in advertising, from production to event planning, and encourage consumers to do so as well. Over his time at OMB and BBDO, Osborn worked with some big-name accounts including Pepsi, FedEx and Lays, and is “very blessed and humbled” to have worked on quite a few Super Bowl ads. His goal is to soft launch Ad Net Zero in the US this year, followed by a full launch in January of next year. “Advertising has tremendous power to influence purchase, to influence opinion, to drive persuasion, to garner consensus,” he said. “But with great power comes great responsibility, so the advertising industry really has tremendous power to make a difference here in a very profound and meaningful way.” Ad Net Zero announced its plans for a global rollout at this year’s Cannes Lions festival for advertising creativity, and the clear first choice was the US, which accounts for about 40% of the world’s advertising expenditure, according to the group. “I think sometimes when people hear about anything related to climate, climate change, or focusing in on carbon emissions or reducing our carbon footprint, their mind automatically goes to things that will be taken away. And that is absolutely not the focus here,” Osborn said. “It’s on the positive side of the energy equation here, and that is building back in a sense of, for example, culture amongst an employee base.” The group was founded by the Advertising Association’s Climate Action Working Group, and the US extension is backed by a series of ad agency players and trade groups, including Unilever, Havas, Omnicom, ANA and IAB. According to Ad Net Zero’s recent report, 71% of people working in the field are concerned about advertising’s environmental impact. The group set a goal to achieve industry-wide net-zero emissions in the UK by the end of 2030. “Our research has shown a demand for more climate-friendly policies amongst people working throughout the industry, and an appetite for more action amongst client companies and media partners alike,” James Best, chair of the Advertising Association’s Climate Action Working Group, said in the report. The pharma industry is a big-time contributor to carbon pollution, according to a study published three years ago that showed its greenhouse gas emissions were 55% higher than even the auto industry. A slate of companies has jumped to action, leading a big sustainability push across the industry. AstraZeneca, Novartis and Merck have set a deadline for 2025, while others including J&J, Pfizer, GSK, Sanofi and BioNTech have set goals for 2030. In its latest environmental, safety and governance (ESG) report, AstraZeneca pledged to develop next-gen inhalers using an environmentally friendly propellant in partnership with Honeywell. “Words seem to be in pretty high demand around this particular topic,” Osborn said. “I think the real emphasis is really going to be on action.”