Why wasn’t sustainability front and centre at Cannes?

Someone once described Cannes Lions to me as “Glastonbury meets LinkedIn", a unique blend of creative revelry and professional networking.

As I attempt to get over the post-Cannes blues with a coffee (note the absence of rosé), I'm still mulling over the contradictions of this year’s festival.

Undoubtedly, it lived up to the hype as a true melting pot of creativity and innovation that left me inspired and energised. 

But I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that the soul of this global advertising epicentre is wayward. Sure, I’m fortunate to work in social impact and sustainability communications every day, but I really believed that this year the industry would embrace these issues wholeheartedly, particularly given the recent proclamation from Antonio Guterres a few weeks ago. That every panel and discussion would at least have a sub-text, a question, a footnote even, about the climate crisis and the opportunity we, as an industry, have to catalyse consumer attitudes. The week made me question if we're using our talents to tackle the right problems.

Climate change fails to take centre stage

The most disappointing observation this year is that sustainability continues to be confined largely to the fringes, rather than taking centre stage. The shift from greenwashing to greenhushing—a noticeable reluctance to openly discuss climate transition plans for fear of backlash alongside a recognition that brands know they’re not doing enough. When sustainability did get the spotlight, the conversations felt stale, hollow and uninspired. Activist Clover Hogan highlighted this disconnect in her talk at the Palais, pointing out that while we have the money, technology and resources to address the climate crisis, meaningful action still remains elusive.

Perhaps this inaction shouldn’t come as a surprise when many business leaders view climate initiatives primarily as reputation management tools rather than genuine efforts for positive change. Our industry, with its exceptional power to influence, has missed a golden opportunity to mainstream climate action. 

But amid the challenges, there were some real highlights.

DEI still needs work… and allies have to show up

This year's festival was hailed by many as the “most inclusive Cannes” to date. Debatable. From speaker lineups to the diversity of award winners, there appeared to be a commitment to broadening representation, even if the bar was pretty low to start with.

Chris Kenna, founder of start-up Generation Black TV, hit the nail on the head during the Rainbow Riviera Brunch with his poignant reminder, "Nothing about us without us", underscoring the need for genuine representation of marginalised groups in decision-making processes. Not to mention ownership.

The conversation around representation in campaigns is evolving too. On Yahoo Beach, Sara Denby, head of the Unstereotype Alliance Secretariat at UN Women, challenged the audience to bin harmful stereotypes of “monolithic men” and champion diverse expressions of masculinity. This was backed up by Tobi Demuren on the final Friday at Block Brunch, when he laid out a vision for what the industry could be: "In advertising, we have a real opportunity to build a new aspirational culture. With masculinity, for example, how can advertising agencies rebuild the way we see it, what type of society do we want to live in, and how can we build it?".

But the big vacuum was the allies, or lack of them. A lot of lip service, not a lot of action, was the key takeaway. For example, most events amplifying women’s voices at WACL’s Empower Cafe only ever had a handful of men. Several creatives of colour talked about how the big commitments of recent years seemed to be on repeat with little to show for the past 12 months. It's a fine line to tread for allies to ensure they’re not taking space away, but at the very least, show up, listen, make commitments and follow through. 

Youth engagement: Room for improvement

While initiatives like the Young Lions competitions and the Future Creative Leaders Academy are incredibly valuable, many young creatives still feel they're on the periphery.

This year there was a notable increase in influencers and creators attending the festival, reflecting the growing importance of the creator economy. 

We need not just to talk about engaging young people, but actively involve next-gen creators in shaping the industry's future. Our most successful campaigns are those that are co-created with the target audience, meeting them where they are, whether that's on TikTok, Instagram or emerging platforms. By involving young talent in the creative process from inception to execution, we can foster a more inclusive and dynamic industry. 

By giving young people seats at the table now, we're not just making better ads, we're investing in the problem-solvers of tomorrow.

So, where do we go from here?

Cannes has showcased our potential. Now it's time to translate that potential into real-world progress. So, what can we do?

• Make impact and sustainability the main course, not just a side dish. Bake it into every brief, every pitch and every campaign. And make it measurable – we need to move beyond impressions and engagement to track real-world impact. Genuine, lasting change is the order of the decade.
   
• Team up. The big issues we're facing are too massive for lone wolves. We need to start collaborating across agencies, brands, and even industries.
   
• Give the next generation a real seat at the table; not just a token young person in the room, but actual decision-making power. They're the ones who'll inherit this mess, after all.

Next year, let's bring more than just case studies. Let's bring receipts showing how we've actually moved the needle on climate change, social justice or whatever big issue we've tackled, with clear goals for what we’re doing next.

Cannes can be more than just a rosé-soaked networking fest. It can be the launchpad for real change. But only if we make it so. The ball is in our court. So what are we going to do with it?

Ed Fletcher is the co-managing director of social impact communications agency Shape History.