MullenLowe Sustainability launches in Asia

MullenLowe Group APAC has launched MullenLowe Sustainability, a new practice offering specialist support to businesses and brands across the region looking to turn good intentions into impactful actions. 

The practice will form part of MullenLowe salt Singapore, the strategic communications arm of the business, and be led by sustainability communications expert Sarah Cragg, fresh from a five-year stint as Ben & Jerry’s Head of Impact and Activism, Asia and New Markets, and a post-graduate student of Cambridge University’s Institute of Sustainable Leadership. MullenLowe salt is a certified B Corporation and a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, set up to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies and to report on their implementation.

MullenLowe Sustainability aims to ‘build better businesses’ by offering a range of services to businesses at all stages in their sustainability journey, including industry and competitor assessment, report creation, internal and external communications and partnership brokering.  Tapping into its extensive network of partners, the team will also provide niche and technical expertise as part of its end-to-end sustainability support service.

The MullenLowe Sustainability team is already working with WWF Singapore and were the official PR partners for UN Global Compact Network Singapore’s Virtual Summit this year, highlighting the need for more sustainability commitments and actions from businesses across Asia. This month the team has also signed new client Kaer, Asia’s largest Aircon-As-A-Service provider.

Commenting on the need to support more businesses in becoming sustainable, Esther Chang, Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network Singapore, said:

“While the region has made some progress on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 'business as usual' will not be enough to meet the goals by 2030. We urge all companies to take their next decisive step in reimagining ways of doing business that are both responsible and resilient. When more businesses collectively take action, that is when the magic of compounding takes off and we see real progress towards achieving the SDGs.”

MullenLowe salt has 20 years of experience in driving impactful purpose-driven sustainability campaigns, having provided strategic leadership on Lifebuoy’s famous ‘Help A Child Reach 5’ campaign, which included developing a successful advocacy campaign for handwashing with soap to be included in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and co-creating the global strategy for Global Handwashing Day, an awareness event recognised by the UN and now in its 12th year. More recent sustainability clients include amongst others PepsiCo, Asia Pacific Breweries and Syngenta.     

Commenting on the launch, Sarah Cragg, MullenLowe Sustainability Practice Lead, said:

“At a time when the world faces unprecedented issues, from climate change to social division and the impacts of COVID-19, we’re seeing more and more businesses keen to step up and become part of the solution. Every business and every industry sector has a role to play in making change happen and we want to help them do so. By making sustainable changes they’ll not only make their businesses more competitive but also have a chance at making a real impact on the communities they serve.”

Suzy Goulding, Director, MullenLowe salt Singapore, said:

“The timing is absolutely right for us to launch a dedicated sustainability practice in Asia when the impact of COVID-19 has brought the world’s problems into sharp relief, and when brands and businesses can help address many of these problems. Changing both business and consumer behaviour is key to taking on these challenges and creative communications has a significant role to play in making this happen.”