Dentsu claims significant progress on DEI, sustainability

Dentsu International claims it has made strong progress on its DEI and sustainability goals in the past year. According to its 2020 Social Impact Highlights Report, the business has become the first to achieve both RE100 accreditation for its sourcing of 100% renewable electricity, and external validation of its 2030 Net Zero target by the Science Based Target Initiative, a climate-change consultancy.

In 2020 Dentsu international achieved an A- for the second straight year from the Carbon Disclosure Project, a not-for-profit charity that helps companies disclose their environmental impact. Dentsu reported that this represents the highest rating in its sector. Elsewhere, Dentsu has also made a commitment to increase the number of women at leadership level to 35%, with a new commitment for women to hold half of all senior executive positions by 2025.

Wendy Clark, Global CEO of Dentsu International, said: “Our social impact strategy has a powerful role to play not only in creating meaningful change, but also in being a distinctive factor in the insights and services we provide to clients, and our ability to attract and develop the best people in our industry.”

To this end, the network says it is supporting young people and women disproportionately affected by Covid by moving the company’s flagship global diversity and digital social impact programmes online, reaching almost 30,000 young people and 105 entrepreneurs since launch. In addition, Dentsu is embedding sustainability into its business model, including ESG KPIs in the executive balanced scorecard and sustainability into leadership behaviours.

Anna Lungley, chief sustainability officer, Dentsu International, said: “What’s clear now is that action on climate change and protecting nature are inseparable from progress on equality and global health and we must accelerate action."

As it seeks to build on its DEI progress, Dentsu has laid down some ambitious goals for the next decade. The network recently announced a target to reduce flight emissions by 65% by 2030 as part of its ambitious Net Zero strategy. In addition, Dentsu is committed to quantifying the greenhouse gas emissions of all media placed for clients and helping to reduce these emissions in line with its own science-based reduction target. By 2030, Dentsu targets emissions reduction associated with media by 46%.

In terms of driving diversity and creating opportunity for its people, the report points out that Dentsu In Q1 2021, it rolled out a bespoke global training programme on inclusive behaviours, valuing difference and realising the power of inclusion. Over 40,000 employees took part in 17 languages.