Publicis Media: Sustainability FAQs

Section 1 – about your company

Response

Company name

Publicis Media

Number of UK employees

250 +

Number of global employees

1000 +

Company type

Media Owner

Person accountable for environmental sustainability

Zsofia Hrubi 

Section 2 – company energy usage

Response

Category of emissions measured eg. Scope 1, 2 and 3

Scope 1
Scope 2
Scope 3

Reduction strategies in place for energy use

In 2021, following the early achievement of 2030 targets under our existing plan, the Groupe set up new targets to achieve by 2030, aligned with the 1.5°C scenario of the Paris Agreement. These have been approved by the SBTi and re-assessed in 2022, with a Near-Term target by 2030 and a Long-Term target reaching Net-Zero by 2040: 
• 2030 Near-Term target: to reduce by 50%, compared to 2019, the absolute scopes 1+2+3 GHG emissions – including a shift to 100% Renewable Energy by direct source before 2030 and become Carbon Neutral before 2030.
• 2040 Long-Term & Net-Zero target: to reduce by 90%, compared to 2019, the absolute scopes 1+2+3 GHG emissions – and to neutralize the remaining 10% of emissions using permanent carbon removals.

Environmental sustainability policies, schemes or initiatives in place

Business travel
Recycling (everyday e.g bottles and cans)
Recycling (tech e.g. laptops and phones)
Single use plastics
Travel to work
Working from home
Website hosting

Percentage of energy usage from renewable sources

91 % - 100% (U.K. only)

Publicly available documents related to above

Find out more here

Company's environmental sustainability objectives

In 2003, Publicis Groupe was the first communications company to join the United Nations Global Compact, with a focus on limiting environmental impacts. We since formalized our specific commitment to fight against climate change by signing the United Nations’ Caring for Climate initiative. The Groupe has voluntarily joined other initiatives such as the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), adopted TCFD Recommendations (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure). In 2015, Publicis Groupe signed the French Business Climate Pledge supporting the Paris Agreement and its 1.5° scenario. 
Strategy:
• In 2021, following the early achievement of 2030 targets under our existing plan, the Groupe set up new targets to achieve by 2030, aligned with the 1.5°C scenario of the Paris Agreement. These have been validated by the SBTi (Science Based Targets Initiative);
• 2030 Targets are:
 - Reduction by 47% for the scopes 1 & 2
- Reduction by 14% for the scope 3
- Shift to 100% Renewable sources of energy
- Achieve Net Zero before 2030.

Section 3 - industry initiatives

Response

Industry certifications or initiatives

AdNet Zero
Science Based Targets
Eco Vadis
1. GRI standards (Global Reporting Initiative); this is the main structure followed by the Groupe since 2009, including its standards and indicators, as well as its ten principles (GRI 101). The 2022 reporting was prepared in accordance with GRI standards: Core option. A GRI content index provides an overview of important information related to sustainable development and is available here
 2. the 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact, to which Publicis Groupe has been a signatory since 2003, since 2017 supplemented by the UN Women’s seven Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs);
3. the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Groupe has chosen to report on nine of the 17 SDGs (see Section 4.8); 4. the ISO 26000 guidelines, which the Groupe has followed since 2011 in order to better accommodate the views of stakeholders;
5. the American Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) guidelines, drafted in 2014 for the technology and communications sector;
6. the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises (Recommendations for responsible business conduct in a global context);
7. the United Nations Caring for Climate pledge signed by Publicis Groupe in 2007, as well as the pledges signed by the companies at the COP 21 in 2015 (Paris Agreement) under the French business Climate Pledge;
8. the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) endorsed by the Groupe on a voluntary basis since 2009 in order to contribute to the general effort to achieve transparency concerning the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental data are published using the location- and market-based rule for scope 2;
9. the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) which defines environmental governance and disclosure rules in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
10. the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which validates companies’ objectives in terms of reporting environmental impacts and carbon emissions, an approach which is in line with the Paris Agreement 1.5°C scenario;
11. WEF & IBC Core ESG Metrics proposed by the World Economic Forum International Business Council Index.
12. in anticipation of the entry into force of the European CSRD, this reporting also took into account elements appearing in the ESRS – European Sustainability Reporting Standards established in 2022 by the EFRAG (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group). The summary and ESG indicators, including the cross-reference table with all the selected benchmarks is public in CSR Smart data