Dentsu : Launches "Decarbonization Initiative for Marketing", Aiming to Promote a Japanese Advertising Industry Standard for the Visualization and Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

Dentsu Group, Inc. (President & CEO: Hiroshi Igarashi; Head Office: Tokyo; Capital: 74,609.81 million yen; hereinafter referred to as "the Company") announced today that it has launched the "Decarbonization Initiative for Marketing" with the aim to visualize and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in supply chains related to marketing communications in Japan.

As a first step, the Company has signed a letter of intent with AdGreen Ltd.^*1 (Representative: Jo Fenn, hereinafter referred to as "AdGreen"), a general incorporated association that leads the visualization of GHG emissions in advertising and content production in the United Kingdom, regarding global collaboration for the development of standard tools in the future.

As part of the transition to net-zero, governments, organizations, and companies around the world have begun to calculate GHG emissions in supply chains associated with their economic activities (referred to as Scope 3 emissions). In the United Kingdom, the "Ad Net Zero" initiative (an initiative to effectively reduce GHG emissions for the advertising industry to effectively zero), led by three advertising industry organizations, was launched in November 2020. The broadcasting and advertising industries in Europe and the United States have already established the operation of calculators to calculate GHG emissions. As of 2023, applicant companies for the Cannes Lions-the world's largest advertising awards-will be asked to voluntarily measure their CO₂ emissions.

Meanwhile, in Japan, advertising production and marketing processes, emissions factors, customs and language are quite different from those in Europe and the United States, so unique customization is required. With an eye to these global trends, dentsu is developing a variety of solutions and working to visualize GHG emissions on a process basis in marketing communications by combining them in an integrated manner, with a primary focus on dentsu EMEA. Dentsu Japan, in association with Metaverse Production^*2, has already launched a GHG emissions visualization tool. The Company will also be supporting its clients in their efforts to reduce GHG emissions and providing consulting services for risks such as greenwashing. The Company has launched the Decarbonization Initiative for Marketing to accelerate these efforts throughout Japan.

This initiative, in collaboration with AdGreen, will drive the development of a Japanese industry-standard GHG emissions visualization tool that will be evaluated more precisely and globally in the medium- to long-term for various service lines of marketing communications in Japan, including advertising and content production, media delivery, digital solutions and events. We also hold regular review meetings with stakeholders involved in advertising and other marketing communications in Japan aiming to discuss our ideal vision for the entire industry toward the realization of a low-carbon society.

Going forward, dentsu will continue to contribute to the sustainable development of marketing communications that connect consumers and society, and work toward the resolution of societal issues through closer collaboration with our clients as well as by implementing the Group's management policy of B2B2S (Business to Business to Society).

*1: A UK-based general incorporated association that promotes the visualization of GHGs in advertising and content production. Dentsu participates as a member of the Advisory Board and helps to implement the organization's initiatives, together with other member companies. For details, please see the following website (in English only).
URL：https://weareadgreen.org/

*2: A joint project by TOHOKUSHINSHA FILM CORPORATION, Dentsu Creative X Inc., Hibino Corporation, Dentsu Creative Cube Inc., and OMNIBUS JAPAN INC., aiming to reduce GHG emissions and improve process efficiency in video production workflows by making effective use of available technologies. The project is promoting the widespread adoption and implementation of virtual production shooting (in-camera VFX) and the development and provision of various services with a view to a future in which video production is completed within the metaverse.
URL：https://metaverse-px.com/

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Contact:
Initiative inquiries:
Sustainability Development Office
Dentsu Group Inc.
E-mail: sustainability@dentsu-group.com

Media inquiries:
Group Corporate Communications Office
Dentsu Group Inc.
Email：group-cc@dentsu-group.com