Cannes Lions: Sustainability Has Left the Press Office | Richard Davis, 51toCarbonZero
Business of MarketingShow Notes
Sustainability used to live in the press release. Increasingly, it lives in the P&L. Recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026, Richard Davis, Co-founder and CEO of 51toCarbonZero, joins Business of Marketing to discuss how sustainability is moving from ambition to action across media, marketing and advertising. Richard previously led global business strategy at Dentsu Media and now works with brands, agencies, publishers and adtech companies to help them turn climate commitments into practical, measurable change. In this episode, we discuss why sustainability has become a business risk issue, not just a CSR issue, and how climate can affect everything from operations and infrastructure to insurance costs, data centres, client portfolios and profitability. We also cover:
Why CMOs still lack meaningful sustainability KPIs The shift from greenwashing to “greenhushing” Why sustainability should be built into the creative brief How agencies can turn sustainability into commercial advantage Why businesses should start with their own operations before trying to solve the whole supply chain The environmental cost of AI, and why Richard believes AI could ultimately become a net positive
As Richard puts it: “Data move decisions, but data don’t really move people. You need to move the hearts as well.” A discussion about sustainability, growth, risk and what comes after the press release.
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