Net Zero: License to Operate Panel with Jean-Marc Papin, SVP of Media Technologies at Horizon Media; Julie Selman, SVP Head of EMEA at Magnite; Simon Sikorski, President of Global Operations at XR Extreme Reach; and moderated by Richard Davis, Co-Founder & CEO at 51toCarbonZero.
We kicked off our first day at Cannes Lions 2024 by attending the session “Net Zero: License to Operate” on sustainability early Monday morning on RTL Beach. The breeze was still cool, but the conversations were heating up at 9 a.m. as the week’s events started.
As an agency with communications expertise that straddles the adtech and cleantech industries, we were keen to converse and convene with industry leaders who are as passionate about this issue as we are.
Jean-Marc Papin, SVP of Media Technologies at Horizon Media, noted that they all started with passion. “We are more than an ecosystem, we are a community. It is a movement that also includes clients who are passionate. It is a beautiful, collaboration moment.”
Panelists from Magnite, Horizon Media and Extreme Reach answered questions from Richard Davis, Co-Founder & CEO at 51toCarbonZero, as he postured that the industry is at an inflection point. With new regulations and new industry bodies putting a spotlight on this issue, the time to act is now. He also noted that the industry moves when there is a request from a client.
Julie Selman, SVP Head of EMEA at Magnite, supported his point by noting that embracing suitability is important for both clients and employees. Sustainability has been mentioned in more RFIs.
Davis noted, “Policies are easy, but behavioral change is hard,” as he pressed the panelists for more details on their specific actions.
Simon Sikorski, President of Global Operations at XR Extreme Reach, noted that there is a move from intent to measurable outcomes. They are now working with AdNetZero and Scope3 and, interestingly, added measurement of linear as they look to get ahead of the curve.
Overall, as new sustainability guidelines roll out it is table stakes for companies to have a point of view on these issues. It has gone from a ‘nice to have’ to a ‘must have.’ The demand is coming from many stakeholders, and there is a huge opportunity for companies to proactively communicate their approach and get ahead of the curve.
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- Tiffany Guarnaccia, CEO and Founder of Kite Hill PR