To our stakeholders at the UN Global Compact:

I am pleased to confirm that M&C Saatchi World Services reaffirms its support of the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption.

In this annual Communication on Progress, we describe our actions to continually improve the integration of the Global Compact and its principles into our business strategy, culture and daily operations. We also commit to share this information with our stakeholders using our primary channels of communication.

Sincerely yours,

Marcus Peffers
CEO, M&C Saatchi World Services

At M&C Saatchi, we are committed to foster human rights and ethical practices within our own company. We embrace opportunities to work collaboratively to bring about change through our collective networks by joining forces with companies who share our values.

The M&C Saatchi Group has in place several policies which speak to our commitment to support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights and ensure we are not complicit in human rights abuses. These policies include (but not limited to) our 2021 modern slavery statement; our equal opportunities policy; our whistleblowing policy, our 2020 global anti racism statement and our Diversity Equity and Inclusion strategy and action plan.

In the coming year, we will explore opportunities to further align our policies, due diligence and communications across the group and any changes will be reflected in our future annual statements.

Below are our public commitments to help combat systemic and systematic inequality and injustices that exist in our society, our industry and our company.

1. STAY NOISY. We will protect safe spaces to talk about, listen, recognise and discuss discrimination, prejudice and racism. However, these safe spaces mustn’t allow prejudice to remain quietly ignored. We want to create noisy spaces too – from our platforms and through our clients and the work we do together. As a communications business we are uniquely placed to be able to use our voice to fight racism and advance the cause of racial equity and equality in and beyond our industry. This a long-term commitment, and we will continue to be vocal and active for as long as it takes for us to live in a society which is fair and equitable.

2. NO EXCUSES. It is imperative that our people are treated with equity and respect. We will not tolerate prejudice and exploitation in any form. We will roll out mandatory manager training to identify and tackle unconscious bias and micro-aggressions ensuring we have a more inclusive and equitable leadership culture. We will continue to find relevant ways to listen and keep learning about our progress and failures - one example is our plan to roll out the Vault App globally, which is a platform providing a safe space for employees to report misconduct. The impact of this will be assessed by monitoring and reporting back on the lived experience of our employees.

3. STAFF UP. We will fundamentally reshape how we recruit, attract, nurture and retain a much greater diversity of talent. We will identify where we need to improve representation and set clear targets to ensure our entire business is representative of the societies in which we operate - with particular focus on representation at board and management level. This work will be further supported by a review of existing policies, process and practices so that they elevate, not stifle, Black, Asian, Indigenous and Minority Ethnic talent as well as those from other underrepresented groups and/or marginalised groups.

4. WALK THE WALK– We will take positive action in communities by continuing to support important initiatives like Saturday School and Mentor Black businesses in the UK. We will open our hearts and minds to learn about different culture and communities by partnering with inspiring organisations. It’s also critical that we continue our allyship and commitment to avert racism through the work we do with our clients. We will expand our resources bringing a greater diversity of talent to work in partnership on the work that we produce. We will support the communities around us, working with businesses and suppliers owned and operated by underrepresented groups.

While the M&C Saatchi Board believes that we do not operate in an industry where breaches of human rights such as modern slavery is prevalent and that the risk of becoming involved in the support or encouragement of slavery, unwittingly or otherwise, is minimal. Despite this, M&C Saatchi is committed to ensuring our business is operated ethically and with integrity, by taking a no tolerance approach to slavery or human trafficking in our organisation or in our supply chain. We will never knowingly deal with any organisation which is connected to slavery or human trafficking and given the nature of the services we provide; we consider that we are at low risk of exposure to slavery and human trafficking. We are not aware of any areas of our operations and supply chain likely to lead to a breach of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.

We mitigate risk and monitor our performance to these principles by:
i. Complying with all relevant UK and relevant employment laws and having internal HR policies and processes in place to prevent breaches of human rights in areas such as modern slavery and human trafficking.
ii. Protecting whistle-blowers by providing access to a dedicated whistleblowing platform.
iii. Thoroughly investigating any allegations made and taking appropriate action following an investigation.
iv. Implementing policies and training programmes for employees to vet and monitor clients and suppliers at all levels.
v. Considering potential risk areas across our supply chains.
vi. Practicing responsible procurement and conducting new supplier due diligence.

M&C Saatchi remains committed to supporting our businesses as they embrace diversity as both an employer . Equitable recruitment practices and talent development, as well as maintaining safe and supportive business cultures are vital to the Group’s success and the encouragement of diverse voices within it.

“M&C Saatchi believes in Diversity of Thought.
Similar people think similar thoughts
Diversity of people creates diversity of thought
Diversity of Thought is a creative necessity.”

Guaranteeing our workforce is diverse and that our employees are treated equally regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic background, marital status, nationality, religion, disability, sexual orientation, age, or any other characteristic, ensures that we have a diversity of skills, backgrounds, knowledge, experience and thought to do the best creative work for our clients, and to continue to attract the best creative minds in the industry.

Similar to our commitments to Human Rights, M&C Saatchi sets our policies and procedures to ensure we are a fair and equitable organisation, representative of the global societies in which we operate and prioritising our commitment to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace and to be intentional in our actions and allyship.

We mitigate risk and monitor our performance to these principles by:
i. Complying with all relevant UK and relevant employment laws and having internal HR policies and processes.
ii. Protecting whistle-blowers by providing access to a dedicated whistleblowing platform.
iii. Thoroughly investigating any allegations made and taking appropriate action following an investigation.
iv. Implementing policies and training programmes for employees to vet and monitor clients and suppliers at all levels.
v. Considering potential risk areas across our supply chains.
vi. Practising responsible procurement and conducting new supplier due diligence.

M&C Saatchi Group has been operating a certified ISO 14001 Environmental management system since 2011. This provides our stakeholders with the assurance that we have the necessary process and practices in place to protect the environment, prevent pollution and focus our action on those areas where we can make the biggest difference. We are committed to going beyond compliance to become an environmental leader within our business sector.

Furthermore, we have the M&C Saatchi Group Staff Environmental Handbook. We believe the creative industry has a unique part to play in mobilising and amplifying the essential behavioural and attitudinal changes needed to save our planet. This Handbook provides staff with the at-a-glance things needed to do to ensure we all do our bit.

We consider the environment in all areas of our organisation, and we actively encourage best in class practice as an integral part of our day-to-day business activities. We have reduced our carbon footprint by 28% from January 2015 to January 2020 (market based emissions), won awards for our internal engagement campaigns, supported the circular economy by sourcing products with recycled and recyclable materials, eliminated problem plastic from our staff canteen, and achieved verified zero waste to landfill. In the year prior to lockdown, we decreased our water usage by 20%, our paper use by 22% and our use of cars and couriers by 43%.

In 2021 we established a new carbon baseline for 2018 and developing a headline strategy to stay below 1.5 degrees Celsius and achieve net zero by 2030. We are also actively supporting the Advertising Association’s 5-point ‘Ad Net Zero’ plan, including how we can do more to harness the power of creative communications to promote sustainable consumer choices and behaviours.

We are working with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to set our carbon reduction targets and expect this to be completed by the end of 2022.

The M&C Saatchi Group and all our subsidiaries (including M&C Saatchi World Services) are committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in its business activities in the UK and overseas. Our Anticorruption Policy outlines M&C Saatchi’s position on preventing and prohibiting bribery, in accordance with the UK’s Bribery Act 2010. We will not tolerate any form of bribery by, or of, our employees, agents or consultants or any person or body acting on its behalf. Senior management is committed to implementing effective measures to prevent, monitor and eliminate bribery.

We regularly communicate our anti-bribery measures to employees and associated persons. M&C Saatchi Group has invested in training sessions that is a requirement for all employees.

Employees and those working for, or on behalf of, M&C Saatchi are encouraged to contact Company’s Finance Director and M&C Saatchi plc Company Secretary with any suggestions, comments or feedback that they may have on how these procedures may be improved.

M&C Saatchi’s Board of Directors Audit Committee is charged with oversight of M&C Saatchi’s internal controls and risk management systems along our compliance, speaking-up systems, and fraud. The Terms of Reference for the Audit Committee include the following:
i. Review the adequacy and security of M&C Saatchi’s arrangements for its employees, contractors and external parties to raise concerns, in confidence, about possible wrongdoing in financial reporting or other matters. The Committee ensures that these arrangements allow proportionate and independent investigation of such matters and appropriate follow up action.
ii. Review M&C Saatchi’s procedures for detecting fraud.
iii. Monitor and review M&C Saatchi’s internal financial controls and internal control and risk management systems to evaluate our performance.