COP28: Agencies in the UAE Share Their Takes
The United Nations Climate Change Conference, otherwise known as COP, is holding its 2023 summit in Dubai. The COP28 summit aims to be a global transformative effort for climate action, encouraging brands, businesses and people to come together to support the climate change cause.
Almost 200 countries are represented at this year’s summit, taking place between November 30th and December 12, and the plans for climate action within the guidelines of the UNFCCC are due to be discussed. Alongside this, talks over rising temperatures are being addressed and finding tangible ways to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 are a priority.
More specifically within the UAE, we wanted to hear about the discussions taking place within the advertising industry, as well as hear about how brands and people are considering sustainability more carefully. LBB’s Nisna Mahtani speaks to VMLY&R Dubai’s head of strategy Fabio Medeiros and Serviceplan Middle East’s managing director, Natalie Shardan to hear more from them about this.
“It’s no secret the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia] has a harsh climate. So, in recent years, global warming has truly become a topic of interest for regional leaders,” explains VMLY&R Dubai’s head of strategy Fabio Medeiros. “Sustainability and clean energy are at the core of most (if not all) government initiatives. Whether it’s the UAE or KSA, the era of ‘greenwashing’ seems to be over.”
It seems the sentiment in the city of Dubai mimics much of the world.
“From official entities to the people, there’s true interest towards the environment. What seems to be missing is making solutions more tangible and widely available.”
In particular, for Fabio, this has changed the way that agencies work to cater towards changing needs. “This sentiment and momentum have trickled down to our brands and clients. The vast majority of our brand strategies or creative campaign briefs have sustainability and the environment embedded as essential factors that can’t be ignored or treated as a secondary KPI.”
He continues, “From developing brand positioning to activations, delivering solutions that are genuine and credible towards creating a better tomorrow is quickly becoming the norm.” There’s no doubt that consumers can distinguish between genuine and half-hearted attempts at environmental consciousness. “Brands are going from greenwashing promises to truly doing business in an environmentally mindful manner.”
This brings us to today, as Fabio leaves us with what this year’s summit means for not only the UAE, but the world. “COP28 is here to boost this positive momentum, and remind the region that caring for a better world is more than just complying with a narrative, but a fundamental pillar for brands to succeed in the GCC of today.”
Similar to Fabio, Serviceplan Middle East’s managing director Natalie Shardan has been thinking about what it means. She says, “The United Nations Climate Change conference (COP28) is expected to attract climate experts from around the world, especially considering Dubai's recent hosting of the Dubai Future Forum, a forward-thinking event focused on a more sustainable and efficient future.”
The Serviceplan agency may not be directly involved with the summit this year, but Natalie reminds us that being future-facing is something the agency has always prioritised. “Although our agency is not directly involved in the conference, we are pleased to see many familiar faces and colleagues attending. Notably, we hosted 150 global futurists and forward-thinking corporations in Dubai for the ‘LaFutura’ conference in 2018.”
When asked about whether the industry should be championing greener efforts, Natalie’s response is assured.
“The advertising industry has a crucial role to play in promoting sustainability, without supporting the matter of greenwashing.”
“On a corporate level, it involves innovating products to contribute to a more sustainable future. Experts globally acknowledge that the commitment to sustainability extends even further to government rules and laws. This brings us to the UAE and the market where the Serviceplan Group Middle East operates.”
She continues, “Our agency is actively engaging with this topic on a global scale, reassessing our offerings, initiating projects in Europe, and bringing our knowledge on how we can contribute to the region.
“Locally, we provide advertising and communication measures that are inherently efficient. Recently, we have started collaborating with CMOs globally and in the Middle East, uncovering interesting insights on sustainability. We plan to release a report on our findings early next year.”
The UAE government has set an ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, and with the region’s unwavering commitment to innovation, it seems there could be more to look out for. Natalie says, “Although it may seem like a long road ahead as we approach the end of 2023, it could be a realistic and sincere timeline for a country like the Emirates to achieve this vision. I am confident that the innovative spirit and fast-forward approach of the country will play a significant role in reaching this goal.”
