DRPG kicks off 2022 with sustainability focus

Global creative communications group, DRPG, positioned sustainability as one of its key focuses for the business this year, holding a company-wide sustainability day on January 6 in conjunction with its team kick-off for 2022.

The 400-strong global group attended the hybrid event both virtually and in person at DRPG’s studios in Worcestershire with Covid-19 safety measures in place.

Dale Parmenter, CEO of DRPG, positioned the annual business priorities for 2022 with sustainability taking the spotlight, following a successful 2021 in which DRPG received six sustainability-focused awards.

The team were also re-educated on the company’s digital sustainability management system to measure the sustainability efforts across DRPG’s vast array of projects and events.

The data collected is used to measure their progress across the 3 sustainability pillars. It also helps DRPG to monitor their progress of being net-zero by 2025, as part of the “Net Zero Carbon Events” pledge signed at COP-26 in 2021.

In the afternoon, teams broke up into their departments for an open-floor discussion to gather further ideas within their specific roles and work environments surrounding the three pillars of sustainability at DRPG: planet, people and profit.

The services within this fully integrated agency come with a variety of material and energy requirements, from print through to video, so after reviewing any niche challenges, the business set tailored KPIs for each area, as well as the plans to measure them.

“I firmly believe, to achieve change and to improve our environmental efforts, we need to work together, rather than dictate from the top down. The team have the specific knowledge within their roles to advise best practice for reductions on environmental issues, equality and efficiencies, enabling them to take control of their own sustainability goals, in turn setting the standard for the wider industry and our clients” said Dale.

The event concluded with a bespoke training session from Sam Wilson, Managing Director of Syntiro Associates, who have been an invaluable guide throughout DRPG’s sustainability progression over the past 15 years.

The session equipped team members with the skills to measure the sustainability within their events and creative projects, and to communicate with clients and suppliers to raise awareness and provide insight into why the business is taking further action to benefit the local community and wider planet.

Dale continued: “We’re proud to be a sustainability progressive agency, we were the first agency across the globe to gain the ISO20121 and ISO14001, we are also currently working towards the B Corp accreditation.

"This dedicated commitment to focus on our objectives will help us continue to be one of the leaders when it comes to understanding and implementing sustainability across the group and into our client projects.”

Throughout 2022, DRPG has plans to continue to enable the team to support with meeting their ISO standards and other goals set out in their CSR charter and CSR Charter review while actively making the business even more sustainable and conscious of the wider community.