New research from Clean Creatives has revealed that five more B Corp accredited communications agencies are working with fossil fuel clients.
Clean Creatives Executive
Director Duncan Meisel submitted a letter to B Corp earlier this week, detailing the findings of its latest research.
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“The scope of the work we found involves serious allegations of
greenwashing, lobbying against climate action, and promotion of activities that would otherwise be prohibited for B Corps,” Meisel wrote. “For example, Cullen Communications’ work
for Applegreen was widely noted for its greenwashing, Edit is working to directly encourage more consumption of Shell’s fossil fuel projects, SEC Newgate is lobbying against national climate
action.”
The letter also detailed the activities of Havas subsidiary Tinkle (promoting Spanish oil brand Repsol) and Total Media (working with gas
distributor E.On). The companies did not respond to queries seeking comment by the time of this posting.
The research by Clean Creatives is part of the group’s effort for its annual “F
List” report coming out in September detailing ad and PR agencies around the world working with fossil fuel companies.
“I believe these examples of fossil fuel promotion greatly strengthen
the case for action to enforce B Corp standards to exclude agencies working from fossil fuel clients,” Meisel wrote.
The new research is part of an aggressive campaign by Clean Creatives and a
group of B Corp agencies—including a letter to the B Corp certifier last October-- to convince B Lab to
re-evaluate and possibly strip agencies of B Corp status that push pro-fossil fuel agendas. The campaign was sparked by Havas’ winning a new Shell Oil media account.
B Lab responded in January
that it had launched a formal inquiry looking at the B Corp status of several Havas agencies which had begun work on the Shell assignment at the start of the year.
Havas then issued a response that in part stated, “Our level of commitment towards sustainability at a group level remains unchanged. Our goal is to involve our clients, talents, and suppliers in a responsible
communications approach, and to raise the standards of the profession...We greatly value and
respect B-Lab and the rigorous B-Corp process.”
At the time the Lab
said the formal probe might take six months but so far it has not issued a decision.
“Decertifying fossil fuel agencies is vital to protecting the B Corp brand and strengthening the B
Corp community,” Meisel stated. “This new evidence uncovered by Clean Creatives shows the urgent need for B Lab to set clear and unequivocal rules on B Corps working with fossil fuel
companies. It shows that agencies are exploiting the certification and significantly undermining its value.”