Creatives for Climate has Launched in Aotearoa
Published on April 4, 2024 by Antonia Estall
Creatives for Climate network launches in New Zealand to tackle corporate greenwashing
Global network founded by New Zealander Lucy von Sturmer appoints
Antonia Estall as Asia-Pacific Lead with mandate to tackle
misinformation through education
Amsterdam based New Zealander Lucy von Sturmer has been making waves across
Europe, founding Creatives for Climate, a non-profit global network of 30,000
professionals committed to climate action.
Today, the non-profit announces the appointment of youth change agent Antonia Estall
as Asia-Pacific Chapter Lead to kick-start action across the region to empower
professionals to tackle greenwashing and build a movement of professionals taking
climate action.
Many roles such as advertising, design and marketing are at the forefront of
communicating corporate sustainability journeys, while capacity and confidence to push
back on greenwashing is low. Creatives for Climate works to bridge this gap.
Research from Consumer NZ confirms 9/10 New Zealanders place importance on a
products green claims being verified before it is sold, while UK research reveals that
40% of marketers say they dont have the qualifications needed to effectively
communicate sustainability (CIM, Oct 2020)
There is a need to empower communicators to upskill with misinformation emerging as
the single top global risk according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Risks
Report 2024.
On the back of local engagements in 2023 with Auckland Climate Festival and
Sustainable Business Network to introduce the network, with Estall at the fore Creatives
for Climate will be:
● Launching a series of regional events to drive engagement within local
communities.
○ The first community event kicks off in Sydney, Australia on March 21st
and events are already planned in Auckland and Wellington with loca
partner Design Assembly
● Onboarding new members to join its free education platform to upskill and take
action and promote awareness of its anti-greenwashing courses and certification
through the landmark training the ‘Greenwash Watch’
● Establishing a regional Ethical Agency Alliance, onboarding agencies that
commit to upskill staff in anti greenwash programme
● Delivering workshops in agencies on anti-greenwashing principles and emerging
legislation
As Estall explains:
“We aim to shift the industry from promoting pollution to promoting solutions, by building
a groundswell of values-driven professionals and agencies tackling greenwashing and
taking action as a collective.”
The Asia-Pacific expansion kicking off in New Zealand allows Creatives for Climate to
address region-specific challenges, leverage local indigenous expertise, and tailor
initiatives to resonate with diverse cultural contexts.”
Local support for Climate for Climate
The launch of Creatives for Climate is a welcome move for many engaged in the
advertising, sustainability and consumer industries in New Zealand.
● “The stories we tell about the net-zero transition are fundamental to the pace of
progress toward our 2030 targets. The climate transition has huge implications
for New Zealand, where access to markets, customers and capital is at stake.
The launch of the global Creatives for Climate non-profit in Aotearoa offers
creative industries much needed tools for advising clients on how to
communicate with credibility. It’s a great way for NZ creatives to get in the game
on sustainability,” said Joanna Kelly, Chief Executive at the Centre for
Sustainable Finance.
● “The reality of the New Zealand market is it’s vey easy for a company to make a
false or misleading sustainability claim about a product or service, and go
unchecked, because greenwashing is essentially unmonitored. Shoppers can
find it hard to differentiate between what is legitimately sustainable versus what is
greenwashing, so the creative industry plays a crucial role in holding the line
when it comes to genuine sustainable communication. Any efforts to empower
more truthful advertising and marketing are very welcome, said Gemma
Rasmussen, Head of Research and Advocacy at Consumer NZ.
● “It’s exciting to see Creatives for Climate in Aotearoa. Having an organisation
calling out greenwashing in the industry and helping creatives draw a line in the
sand is important. We can all see which way the wind is blowing. Creatives for
Climate are trying to help us prepare for the storm,” said Matt Haliday, Senior
Lecturer in Advertising and Brand Creativity AUT.
Global network founded by New Zealander Lucy von Sturmer appoints
Antonia Estall as Asia-Pacific Lead with mandate to tackle
misinformation through education
Amsterdam based New Zealander Lucy von Sturmer has been making waves across
Europe, founding Creatives for Climate, a non-profit global network of 30,000
professionals committed to climate action.
Today, the non-profit announces the appointment of youth change agent Antonia Estall
as Asia-Pacific Chapter Lead to kick-start action across the region to empower
professionals to tackle greenwashing and build a movement of professionals taking
climate action.
Many roles such as advertising, design and marketing are at the forefront of
communicating corporate sustainability journeys, while capacity and confidence to push
back on greenwashing is low. Creatives for Climate works to bridge this gap.
Research from Consumer NZ confirms 9/10 New Zealanders place importance on a
products green claims being verified before it is sold, while UK research reveals that
40% of marketers say they dont have the qualifications needed to effectively
communicate sustainability (CIM, Oct 2020)
There is a need to empower communicators to upskill with misinformation emerging as
the single top global risk according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Risks
Report 2024.
On the back of local engagements in 2023 with Auckland Climate Festival and
Sustainable Business Network to introduce the network, with Estall at the fore Creatives
for Climate will be:
● Launching a series of regional events to drive engagement within local
communities.
○ The first community event kicks off in Sydney, Australia on March 21st
and events are already planned in Auckland and Wellington with loca
partner Design Assembly
● Onboarding new members to join its free education platform to upskill and take
action and promote awareness of its anti-greenwashing courses and certification
through the landmark training the ‘Greenwash Watch’
● Establishing a regional Ethical Agency Alliance, onboarding agencies that
commit to upskill staff in anti greenwash programme
● Delivering workshops in agencies on anti-greenwashing principles and emerging
legislation
As Estall explains:
“We aim to shift the industry from promoting pollution to promoting solutions, by building
a groundswell of values-driven professionals and agencies tackling greenwashing and
taking action as a collective.”
The Asia-Pacific expansion kicking off in New Zealand allows Creatives for Climate to
address region-specific challenges, leverage local indigenous expertise, and tailor
initiatives to resonate with diverse cultural contexts.”
Local support for Climate for Climate
The launch of Creatives for Climate is a welcome move for many engaged in the
advertising, sustainability and consumer industries in New Zealand.
● “The stories we tell about the net-zero transition are fundamental to the pace of
progress toward our 2030 targets. The climate transition has huge implications
for New Zealand, where access to markets, customers and capital is at stake.
The launch of the global Creatives for Climate non-profit in Aotearoa offers
creative industries much needed tools for advising clients on how to
communicate with credibility. It’s a great way for NZ creatives to get in the game
on sustainability,” said Joanna Kelly, Chief Executive at the Centre for
Sustainable Finance.
● “The reality of the New Zealand market is it’s vey easy for a company to make a
false or misleading sustainability claim about a product or service, and go
unchecked, because greenwashing is essentially unmonitored. Shoppers can
find it hard to differentiate between what is legitimately sustainable versus what is
greenwashing, so the creative industry plays a crucial role in holding the line
when it comes to genuine sustainable communication. Any efforts to empower
more truthful advertising and marketing are very welcome, said Gemma
Rasmussen, Head of Research and Advocacy at Consumer NZ.
● “It’s exciting to see Creatives for Climate in Aotearoa. Having an organisation
calling out greenwashing in the industry and helping creatives draw a line in the
sand is important. We can all see which way the wind is blowing. Creatives for
Climate are trying to help us prepare for the storm,” said Matt Haliday, Senior
Lecturer in Advertising and Brand Creativity AUT.