Pressure is mounting on Havas as Clean Creatives and a slew of other B Corp certified agencies call on B Lab to strip accreditation from firms who work with fossil fuel clients.
In order to acquire B Corp certification, companies must conform to exceptionally high environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards – as a result of its recent activities, Havas’ own certification is now under serious jeopardy.
Alongside 26 other communications and advertising agencies, Clean Creatives has filed an official letter of complaint to B Lab to demand that agencies who work with fossil fuel clients be stripped of their eligibility to hold B Corp status.
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This demand for action comes in direct response to Havas’ decision to pitch for and win the Shell global media buying account last month, noting that the agency’s B Corp accredited subsidiaries will be required to “play a vital role in the business of one of the world’s worst polluters.”
At this stage, B Corp accreditation is only reviewed every three years – as a result, Havas and its subsidiaries will retain their status, despite working with Shell.
As part of its grievance, Clean Creatives said: “We believe certifying these agencies that directly support fossil fuel polluters devalues the principles and public image of B Corp agencies worldwide.”
In its letter, Clean Creatives also noted that two other B-Corp certified agencies, MSQ and TamTam/TBWA currently work with fossil fuel firms Shell and PetroCanada respectively.
