For a couple of days last week, I found myself in the midst of a rather unusual crowd. An impressive crowd it was, of scientists, activists, bankers, farmers, policymakers, heads of countries, eager students and the likes.

On the face of it, World Future Energy Summit was not a place for an ad guy to be. But it turned out to be exactly the place where I needed to be.

The place was teeming with people and buzzing with ideas, solutions, thoughts, opinions – all for a single cause. A sustainable future for all of us.

There was an infectious passion in every conversation and presentation, and every person I listened to or met was genuinely excited about what they could bring to the table. The ones who didn’t have an idea were actively seeking one from someone.

I have long sensed it coming, and those two days made it evidently clear – Sustainable Development is what is going to drive our life and work for the foreseeable future. Brands and companies are already rethinking their strategies and spends, while governments, activists and policymakers are piling on the pressure.

On the last count, we have about 8 billion people to take care of. And to do that countries and economies have to grow big and fast. It’s alright to want to grow economies at double digits, but if we are to grow at that scale, our sustainability efforts need to scale up manifold. Or else we’d have a lot of money, and a hostile planet to live on. Not the fruits of labour we are looking forward to.

Another stark reality is that our chickens have come home to roost. Sustainable Development is no longer someone else’s problem. It’s personal now.

The advertising industry has played a significant role in growing economies around the globe. We create needs for products in the minds of millions and in turn help create billion-dollar markets and corporations.

We spend our time understanding consumer behaviors, cracking strategies, insights and compelling stories to help sell more cars, cereals, clothes and airline tickets among a million other products. But we rarely question the environmental impact of the products we are selling. Now we are compelled to. It’s time we owned up some responsibility and ensured we drive sustainability like every other conscientious industry out there.

As it turns out, we have a bigger scope to influence and input into the way things are done. With increasing emphasis on circular economy, every brand is now accountable for the entire life cycle of a product.

From product designs to packaging materials, advertising campaigns to brand activations, every idea we think up must factor in the most challenging battle we’re facing. We will need to question briefs and ensure that while we solve a marketing problem, we don’t end up harming the planet in any way.

Admittedly, the goal is overwhelming and time is short. The only way we can get there is by getting more people to make Sustainable Development Goals their personal goals too. That’s where our problem-solving skills, understanding of human behaviors and communication expertise can play a crucial role. No industry is better equipped or has better credentials, to shape public opinion and behavior, create trends and get an audience to act in a certain way than the advertising industry.

It’s not like we have a choice. It is an existential issue. If we are to limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees while being bullish on growing economies at impressive digits, we better roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty.

At Rain, sustainability has always been a part of the way we are. We have always been conscious of our environmental impact and carbon footprint. From working from home options to digitizing pretty much everything to eliminating single-use plastic, we have been advocating sustainable living ever since we started.

We are now going a step further by initiating an agency-wide professional-grade certification program to bring everyone up to speed with Sustainability Development Goals. We want everyone to understand the goals and actions needed thoroughly. Better knowledge will help our people think and do better, and in turn, help our brands achieve their sustainability goals more efficiently. It will help us approach marketing problems from a fresh angle.

Equally importantly, a nuanced understanding of Sustainability Development Goals will help us evolve future-proof growth strategies for prospects in new categories. We have already started work on some of these and are quite excited about where our thinking is taking us.

As I was driving back from the Summit, I thought of all the times the advertising industry asked companies what their brand purpose is. If they were to ever turn around and ask me this same question, I now have one to state.

Manoj Ammanath, Managing Director.