Climate advocacy group Comms Declare has revealed its 2024 F-List, a round-up of which agencies are working with fossil-fuel clients.
The 2024 F-list found that there were 79 “fossil-friendly” agencies in Australia and New Zealand.
Clean Creatives found that there were more than 1000 contracts with 588 agencies found globally.
In Australia, Clemenger Group/Omnicom’s GRACosway has the most fossil fuel clients of any agency with eight, followed by SEC Newgate, Spring Street Advisory and WPP’s Purple, with six each. IPG’s Initiative was the “most polluting” marketing agency with three fossil fuel clients.
Comms Declare also found eight agencies representing fossil fuel lobby groups. Six Australian agencies joined the F-List, too: BMF, Brookline Advisory, Buck, Nous, Special and Wahoo Advertising.
The most-marketed fossil fuel company was Ampol, with six agencies in Australia and five more in New Zealand where it trades as Z Energy.
Globally, Clean Creatives found that Ogilvy and McCann Worldgroup held the most fossil fuel contracts, with 15 each. Ogilvy was named Network of the Year at Cannes Lions in June.
Clean Creatives also found that Ogilvy parent WPP holds the most fossil fuel contracts of the big holding companies with 79, while Omnicom follows a close second with 74. McCann Worldgroup parent IPG holds 50, Publicis 40, Havas 19, Dentsu 18, Edelman 11 and Stagwell seven. Havas hit the headlines earlier this year after having its B Corp certification revoked over its work with Shell.
The agencies with the most contracts after Ogilvy and McCann Worldgroup were FTI Consulting with 13, Burson with 12, IPG Mediabrands also 12 and Edelman 11.
Belinda Noble, founder of Comms Declare said, “The research has found that the halls of power are greased with oil, coal and gas, and public affairs companies with strong links to governments are continuing to do the bidding of our largest climate polluters.
“Climate polluters will insist that they are just maintaining market share or trying to reach net zero. But look at Ampol, one of the biggest marketing spenders, with record petroleum sales that increased 17 per cent since 2022.”
Comms Declare said that the number of Australian agencies on its list fell from 90 to 65 this year, in part because of a “more rigorous methodology” and “shorter time frame” of two years used in partnership with US-based Clean Creatives.
The research incorporates more than 30 new sources of data to reveal 1,010 contracts between 590 agencies and 332 fossil fuel clients in 70 countries between 2023 and 2024. Of these 1,010 contracts, 692 are new, and 318 have continued from the F-List 2023. A total of 551 contracts haven’t been reported before, making it the most comprehensive report on fossil fuel advertising and PR.
Clean Creatives’ 2024 methodology included searching agency websites, creative portfolios, LinkedIn’s ad library, PRCA and O’Dwyers agency directories, the OpenSecrets lobbying database, and more. To ensure accuracy, each contract uncovered has at least three different sources. For the first time, public affairs firms, production agencies, retail marketing agencies, recruitment agencies, animation studios and OOH agencies have also been included in the total figure.
Duncan Meisel, executive director, Clean Creatives said, “This is the most accurate report on the ad and PR agencies working for fossil fuel companies ever produced. We’ve incorporated over 30 new sources of data so that clients, employees, and business partners fully understand the risks of working with fossil fuel agencies. We are experiencing the hottest period in human history, and as extreme weather continues to spread, pressure will only grow on these firms to cut ties with the polluters pushing our planet to the brink.”
Earlier this year, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, asked all governments and businesses to stop advertising the fossil fuel companies he describes as the ‘Godfathers of climate chaos’.
