Investments enabling carbon emissions reduction and offsetting transactions are managed by the Groupe CSR Department in order to concentrate efforts on authenticated local projects, audited by third parties and with recognized certifications such as Gold Standards for the UN SDGs, VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) and CCBA (Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance). These transactions appear publicly in the VERRA registers. Publicis Groupe is supported in these projects by an external firm in order to validate the robustness of the projects selected and to monitor their evolution over time.
[E1-7-59 (a)]
[E1-6-45 (d)]
In terms of renewable energy, the Groupe’s objective is to achieve 100% renewable energy from direct sources. However, some markets are not yet sufficiently mature or sometimes local regulations do not yet allow for the possibility to change energy supplier. In order to accelerate this process, once the progress of renewable energies from direct sources is known, the Groupe purchases RECs (Renewables Energy Certificates) or GOs (Guarantees of Origin) each year to reduce the impact of the volume of energy consumed that does not come from renewable sources. This plan covers the Groupe’s leading countries in terms of workforce on three continents: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, India, China and Singapore. The establishment of long-term energy contracts provides an additional solution.
For Scope 3 impacts, the Groupe offsets impacts related to all its air travel, which is covered by VCC Plan 2 (see below).
Carbon offsetting through the purchase of carbon credits remains the action taken as a last resort. Publicis Groupe has set itself the intermediate target of achieving carbon neutrality for Scopes 1 and 2 by 2030, with the use of direct renewable energy as the main lever, thus reducing the purchase of RECs or Guarantees of Origin (GO). Carbon offsetting, as part of the committed plans, aims to offset irreducible Scopes 1 and 2 emissions. In recent years, the Groupe has included emissions related to business air travel (part of Scope 3) in the offsetting plan; although these have been decreasing since 2019, the Company’s economic growth and the geographical dispersion of clients mean that there is still a need to meet and work together physically. While a portion of business travel is irreducible, the priority target of a 50% reduction by 2030 remains unchanged.
[E1-7-56 (a) & (b)]
In 2020, the Company embarked on an initial five-year multi-annual project to offset its carbon emissions. This “VCC Plan 1” includes:
In 2024, the Groupe canceled the equivalent of 85,045 TeqCO2 through VCCs. These reduction and offsetting actions enabled Publicis Groupe to achieve carbon neutrality for Scopes 1+2 and business travel in 2024 (and since 2020), in accordance with the requirements of the Paris Agreement. [E1-7-56 (b), E1-7-AR 61]
Since 2022, Publicis Groupe has included Scope 3 emissions related to air transportation from business travel in its current offsetting plan. In 2023, a second five-year multi-year project was implemented to build on the first. This “VCC Plan 2” includes:
In order to anticipate future needs in terms of carbon credits, to offset irreducible residual emissions, Publicis Groupe has joined the Climate Fund for Nature, managed by Mirova/Natixis. This is a pooled fund in which the Groupe has invested euro 20 million in exchange for carbon credits for the next 15 years – see the description in Section 4.2.1.3.
