Edelman won a sustainability award for an energy-saving campaign but has long-standing contracts with fossil fuel companies like Shell.
Publicis Conseil and Renault were awarded for providing vehicles in "mobility deserts" despite Publicis Conseil’s past work with TotalEnergies.
WPP agencies AKQA and Ogilvy also won sustainability awards while maintaining ties with oil giants such as BP and Chevron.
Key quote:
“In a warming world, every degree has a significant impact.”
— Edelman campaign voiceover
Why this matters:
Awarding sustainability honors to agencies with polluting clients illustrates the inconsistency in recognizing genuine environmental efforts. It raises concerns about the credibility of such awards and the ongoing influence of fossil fuel companies.
In the past seven months, oil and gas companies have dramatically stepped up their outreach and public relations spending at some of New Mexico’s best-known, best-loved events.
The Department of Energy retained a global public relations firm with longstanding fossil fuel ties, continuing a practice that ramped up during the Trump administration.
Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) have requested documents from five public relations firms and the American Petroleum Institute detailing their work for fossil fuel companies.
