Cannes reflections: Sustainability efforts present but not prominent
Sustainability took a backseat role at Cannes this year when it should have been a headline topic.
This year at Cannes Lions, sustainability didn’t shout, it moved quietly, threaded through the festival. For those paying attention, it was there in the panels, the campaigns, the logistics, even in the sand beneath our feet.
But it wasn’t the headline act. And maybe it should have been.
Inside the Palais, the winning work was nothing short of inspiring. It was proof that creativity can drive real-world impact. The Reef Protection Factor campaign was a standout. Created by Stream2Sea, it introduced the world’s first sunscreen proven to nourish coral, an antidote to the chemical-laden formulas that have long been harming marine ecosystems.
Then there was Visit Portugal’s Saving Water initiative, a campaign that turned airport baggage reclaim into a climate classroom. Six transparent suitcases filled with seawater, each representing the 235 litres a tourist could save daily, cut through the noise with clarity and creativity. The result was a 13% reduction in water consumption.
Behind-the-scenes efforts
But the most significant shifts weren’t just in the work — they were in the systems. The UN Global Compact launched its CMO Blueprint for Sustainable Growth, offering marketing leaders a strategic framework and a benchmarking tool to measure their progress against peers. Supporting CMOs to embed sustainability not just into messaging, but into the very mechanics of marketing.
Meanwhile, Ad Net Zero unveiled the next phase of the Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF), launched at last year’s festival, and which Responsible Marketing Advisory have been proudly co-authoring. This is a comprehensive methodology for measuring carbon emissions across the media lifecycle, from creation to distribution to consumption. Built with input from 53 brands, all six holding agencies, 31 media owners, and 27 industry bodies across 42 markets, the framework isn’t just a tool. It’s a foundation for accountability. This will now enable the whole industry to understand the true impact of their actions.
Behind the scenes, the logistics of Cannes were greener than ever. More attendees opted for the train over the plane, with Scope3 leading the charge via the “Scope3 Express,” a low-emission journey that proved sustainability can be stylish, social, and scalable. Carbon offsetting also gained momentum, with companies like Atosfair offering credible ways to balance the environmental books.
Even the beach got a sustainability glow-up. Google, now in its sixth year of reusing stage materials from 2019, showed that circular design isn’t just a concept, it’s a commitment. Cannes Lions itself supported this ethos by offering storage for beach installations, reducing waste and encouraging reuse year after year.
And then came the activism. Clean Creatives delivered a poetic protest with their “Cannes in a Can” stunt, sending literal cans of Riviera sand to UK agencies still working with fossil fuel clients. It was cheeky, yes, but also a sharp reminder that the climate conversation doesn’t end when the panels do.
Paradoxical sub-plot
Sustainability was present at Cannes Lions 2025, but it wasn’t prominent. It was the supporting character, not the star. And that’s the contradiction.
Because while we celebrated coral-safe sunscreen and carbon-measuring frameworks, thousands of people still flew across the world for a week-long festival. The carbon footprint of Cannes remains enormous.
The creative industry is brilliant at storytelling, but when it comes to climate, the story we’re telling doesn’t yet match the one we’re living.
If we want to lead on climate, sustainability can’t just be a subplot. It needs to be the headline act. Not just in the campaigns we award, but in how we gather, how we build, and how we show up.
Until then, Cannes risks becoming a paradox, a celebration of innovation still tethered to carbon emitting habits.