• by Rachel Schnorr , August 15, 2023

It’s important to understand how the climate emergency affects marginalized and vulnerable populations, as they bear an unequal burden. The people who have been historically discriminated against have lower incomes and fewer rights, and those who live in environmentally vulnerable regions will suffer disproportionately. Yet this fact isn’t a big enough part of the advertising industry’s current approach to sustainability,

Educate Yourself on The Role of DE&I in Sustainability

The Environmental Protection Agency has written that the groups most susceptible to extreme climate events include “low-income households, communities of color, those experiencing homelessness, and immigrant populations.” These populations in urban and rural areas around the world, including the U.S., typically have less access to permanent shelter with air conditioning, healthcare, and healthy food.

It’s important to understand where help is needed and where there is the biggest vulnerability. As the recent Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s "Climate and Development Finance” report states: “Trying to build a prosperous global economy without investing in lower-income countries would be like trying to fuel the tech revolution of the 2000s while ignoring Silicon Valley.”

It’s important to understand your company’s operational footprint. Most companies don’t create emissions in the same places where the majority of their executives live and work. Company leaders and the broader employee base should know where their company’s emissions are coming from, including your company’s supply chain, how their offices, factories and data centers are powered, and what impacts these things have on those outside of the organization.

Be the Voice of Environmental Justice

Advertising is responsible for anywhere from 2%-3% of the world’s annual carbon emissions, but our ability to make a positive impact is much greater -- because of our ability to reach large-scale audiences, create awareness, and encourage action. We can all become advocates for environmental justice in big and small ways:

Bring goals together: As companies list values and goals on their website, DE&I initiatives are often seemingly separate from the sustainability strategy. Consider which of the goals need to be more interwoven and better communicated as a connected narrative, and what actions can help achieve progress in both areas.

Identify opportunities to make a difference in the supply chain: End-to-end, from creative production to in-store customer experience, advertisers have opportunities to combine diversity and sustainability. For example, choosing not only to produce creative locally to reduce the carbon footprint, but making sure diversity in the professionals behind and in front of the camera are also part of the expectations. Another goal: make packaging not only earth-friendly, but also friendly for the people who live near the production facilities.

Educate through action: Use advertising and marketing to educate consumers about the interconnectedness of sustainability and DE&I. The more consumers are aware of the double impact of their actions, the more empowered they will be to make choices that help reduce our climate footprint while considering a more diverse community of people.

People around the world are becoming more concerned about the effects of climate change as they see the realities starting to unfold. Those of us in marketing and advertising can be a catalyst, sharing valuable information to help people understand how they will be impacted and how they can help those groups who will bear a heavier burden.