Cannes Lions embeds sustainability across the Lions awards in 2023

Sustainable Development Goals Lions 2022 entry fees of 226,860 euros are donated to five Lion-winning charities.

Cannes Lions has announced the introduction of non-compulsory sustainability reporting to the entry process for all Lions awards in 2023. Using AdNet Zero’s five-point Action Plan as a guide, all entrants will be encouraged to outline their C02 emissions on the piece of work being submitted. The data and information is being collated by the Festival to benchmark best-practice across the production and distribution of creative work globally, and will not inform the judging process. 

As part of the Festival’s ongoing commitment to driving action on sustainability, all 2022 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Lions entry fees have been donated to five Lion-winning charities. Each nonprofit, who are actively supporting the ambitions of the United Nations’ Global Goals across the world, has received an equal share of 226,860 euros. 

Since 2015, Cannes Lions has donated nearly 2 million euros through the SDG Lions and Glass: The Lion for Change awards combined, to support vital projects worldwide. 

Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said: “We believe it’s our collective responsibility to drive action on sustainability through creativity. That’s why we’re embedding sustainability across all of the Lions awards this year to inform best-practice and support the ambitions of Ad Net Zero. The SDG Lions’ winning charities show how creativity can drive action to meet the ambitions of the Global Goals and we’re delighted to support the ongoing work of these inspirational charities.”

The five charities who have each received a 45,372 euro donation from the 2022 SDG Lions entry fees are all fighting for vital causes, from birth control rights, to freedom of speech; food poverty to disability awareness.