Climate Label is a non-profit cofounded by the folks behind the travel gear company Peak Design. The idea behind Climate Label was to help companies measure, offset, and reduce their carbon footprints using data composed of research-based estimations. Although it wouldn’t be the most precise measurement, it wouldn’t be inaccurate. And Climate Label’s method would empower businesses of all sizes and industries to circumvent pricey consulting firms and use their savings to support carbon offsetting initiatives around the world. With enough carbon offsets purchased, companies could reduce their net carbon footprint to zero and receive the designation “Climate Label.”

In turn, the certification empowers consumers to shop from companies that are not just investing in sustainability, but taking responsibility for their carbon emissions. 

As a certified Climate Label company, we know what DEPT®’s carbon footprint is. 

Not many other businesses can say the same. 

Furthermore, as a twice-certified company, we know what our carbon footprint was the year before. This means that we’ve been able to measure the success of our sustainability initiatives as a company in terms of actual tonnes of CO2. 

Very few businesses can say that.

For this year, as we anticipate our third certification in 2023, we’re doubling down on reducing the emissions associated with our offices and our business travel, which is ramping back up post-pandemic. 

We’ve committed to goals that include acquiring at least one large office building that is either LEED or BREEAM certified and also to continue adjusting our travel policy to ensure that we’re taking advantage of more eco-friendly forms of transport wherever we can. 

We expect these actions to lead to significant reductions in our direct and indirect emissions, and have already seen the first adjustments to our travel policy (booking group flights where possible) cut those associated emissions in half.

Of course, it’s not all just about measurement and reduction. As we continue to work on our reduction goals, we’re proud to be offsetting our current carbon emissions through our friends at Terra Neutra. This year the offsetting projects we’re supporting include a wind farm in Turkey and a reforestation project in Uganda. Both of these projects may be actively working to remove carbon from the atmosphere but their missions have positive impact at the human level as well. 

The Mugla wind farm in Turkey will create long term job opportunities for locals and help reduce dependency on energy imports, paving the way for even more renewable energy projects like it. 

Restoring the Kitalu forest in Uganda also carries significant humanitarian benefits. In this region, deforestation is a major cause of poverty and the project offers a per tree stipend for farmers who participate in it. Not to mention these farmers will be able to reap the long-term benefits of the growing global market for carbon offsets. Additionally, the project also carries with it a health outreach component, helping educate local communities on HIV, malaria, and other medical issues. 

When we first became Climate Label certified, we took our first steps on a long road toward becoming a truly sustainable company. Our journey didn’t stop then, and it hasn’t stopped now. We still have a long ways to go, but we’re also proud of the accomplishments we’ve made en route.

We are proud to announce that we have become climate label certified. DEPT® became certified after working with the Climate Label organisation to measure and offset our 2020 carbon footprint, while proving our long-term commitment to implementing emissions reduction plans.

“DEPT® and our other Climate Label certified brands are leading the global shift to a net-zero economy by doing what all companies should be doing immediately: measuring, offsetting and reducing their carbon emissions,” says Climate Label CEO, Austin Whitman. “Our label helps consumers identify these brands. It’s a recognisable and trusted symbol that turns everyday purchases into meaningfully positive climate action.”

DEPT®’s CEO, Dimi Albers, added: “Becoming climate label certified holds us to account for our emissions and is the bare minimum of what DEPT® – and all agencies across the board – should be doing. It’s a signal of intent to our 1,750-strong team of Depsters and wider community that we are not only digital innovators, but also people who genuinely want to make a positive impact on the world. We are incredibly proud to be part of a carbon neutral company, and I hope we’ll inspire other companies to follow suit.”

DEPT®’s carbon footprint is being offset in partnership with Terra Neutra by providing poverty-stricken families in Kenya with clean energy cookstoves. The initiative is part of the Hifadhi Livelihoods project, which protects 18,000 hectares of Kenyan forest each year by preventing rural households from using wood to fuel their homes.

In addition to offsetting, we are reducing our emissions by rebooting the DEPT® travel policy, and hosting our IT load and client platforms in partnership with carbon neutral hosting service, Microsoft Azure. 

The certification also demonstrates a commitment to sustainability that can be seen in our work with environmentally-conscious clients, including Indigo Ag (where we developed apps and a new marketplace to drive agriculture innovations that aim to feed the world more efficiently), and Justdiggit (where we built a direct donations platform to help train African farmer communities in areas of drought).

 The climate label certification coincides with the release of our first impact report and marks the opening chapter in our ongoing impact mission and quest to gain B Corp certification by the end of 2021.

Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture, has ranked global digital agency DEPT® 29th on the Best Workplaces in Europe list in the Large Organisation category.

The list is based on confidential survey data representing 1.4 million employees from over 3,000 companies across 37 countries in Europe. The survey assesses employee experiences of trust, innovation, company values, inclusivity and leadership. The results indicate that over ninety per cent of DEPT®’s employees would strongly recommend the company to family and friends. 

“Congratulations to the Best Workplaces in Europe for putting the well-being of their employees first,” said Michael C. Bush, Global CEO of Great Place to Work®. “During a challenging time for the region, these companies created equitable workplaces by providing flexibility and supporting their employees through strife.”

Founded in Amsterdam in 2015, DEPT® has quickly grown across the globe, from 150 people in The Netherlands to more than 3,500 people in seventeen countries across five continents. “Despite growing super-fast, our culture is always to be ‘big enough to cope, but small enough to care,” said Dimi Albers, CEO at DEPT®. “We work hard to make sure every Depster feels part of the family. We know we can always do more, but being named as a Best Workplace is a great sign that we’re on the right track.”

The digital agency has been a certified B Corporation and Climate Neutral Certified since 2021, and has extensive DE&I and educational programs for its employees. “We’re dedicated to being not only the best agency in the world, but for the world too,” said Marjan Smit, VP Regional Head of People & Culture at DEPT®. “We listen to our people, and are always working hard to improve our processes, benefits and employee experience. Receiving a spot in the Best Workplaces in Europe is an incredible achievement we hope to keep up for years to come.”

In just under a year, DEPT® has gone from becoming a Certified B Corporation® to being recognised as one of the Best for the World™ B Corps of 2022, putting it in the top 5% of B Corps in its size range around the world.

Every year, B Lab recognises the top-performing B Corps creating great impact through their businesses, naming them Best for the World™ across the five impact areas evaluated on the B Impact Assessment: community; customers; environment; governance; and workers. 

DEPT® has been recognised in the governance category after achieving a top score for its overall mission, ethics, accountability and transparency, as well as embodying what it means to use business as a force for good. 

It is only one of four B Corps with more than 1,000 employees to be recognised in its category, and one of 20 companies of its size group to be recognised across all five lists. 

B Lab says that businesses are recognised as being Best for the World™ in governance for demonstrating how “their best practices are focused on how they engage employees, board members, and the community to achieve their mission, as well as employee access to financial information, customers’ opportunities to provide feedback, and the diversity of their governing bodies.”

Pooja Dindigal, Global Impact Manager at DEPT®, said: “As a Certified B Corporation®, DEPT® already meets the high standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose, but to be recognised as a top performer within our first year makes us incredibly proud.

“This achievement proves that aspiring to be the best agency both in and for the world is a winning strategy, and we’re honoured to be recognised for leading the way in using business as a force for good to transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet.”

Initiatives that have supported DEPT®’s success include becoming a Climate Neutral certified company for the second year in a row, hiring a Global Impact Manager to accelerate sustainability and DE&I initiatives, and offsetting our current carbon emissions through Terra Neutra, which includes supporting offsetting projects which are a wind farm in Turkey and a reforestation project in Uganda. 

Earlier this year, DEPT® was also recognised for its impactful project work at the inaugural Anthem Awards (an offshoot of the Webby Awards), taking home seven trophies for its purposeful and mission-driven work for companies including Patagonia, Indigo AG and the Eurovision Song Contest. To name just a few. 

We hope that DEPT® can inspire other businesses to join the B Corp movement and make a positive impact on the world. We are living proof that you can be the best for the world on your journey to being the best in the world.

Check out the full Best for the World™ 2022 lists.

3Q Digital, the disruptive growth marketing agency for brands like Skechers, Titleist, Pandora and Uniqlo, has entered into a definitive agreement to combine with global digital agency DEPT®. 3Q Digital’s team of 500 US-based experts will join the agency to deliver best-in-class data and engineering, creative automation, and personalisation at a global scale.

Together, DEPT® and 3Q Digital will have 3,000 specialists that will support 65+ languages and campaign experiences in 180+ markets and will manage more than $3 billion in digital media spending, positioning it as one of the leading independent agencies in the world. To provide clients with one global tech stack, 3Q Digital’s proprietary solutions, including ADA/QONTROL, will be integrated into the Ada by DEPT® proprietary martech platform after closing of the transaction.

Rob Murray, CEO at 3Q Digital, said: “DEPT® is building a fully-integrated delivery model with simple structures, speed, clarity, and personal contact. Joining forces will expand our ability to impact the entire customer journey with the support of DEPT®’s experience, commerce, technology and creative services. Their commitment as a climate neutral, Certified B Corporation, support for a hybrid work model, and pioneering spirit will create a new type of agency that is truly big enough to cope and small enough to care.” 

Upon closing of the transaction, 3Q Digital will be known as 3Q/DEPT™. With the proposed combination, 3Q Digital’s shareholders will receive shares in DEPT®. Penny Pritzker, chairman of PSP Partners and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce said: “It’s a time of high-growth for the digital industry, as it has been since we acquired 3Q Digital. These two powerhouses, each led by world-class teams, have all the ingredients for a long-term, winning strategy as a combined business.” Pritzker will join the DEPT® supervisory board at the closing of the transaction. PSP Partners, along with Erie Street, first invested in 3Q Digital in 2019.

Founded in Amsterdam in 2015, DEPT® has grown to more than 2,500 people across five continents, working with brands including Google, Philips, eBay, Patagonia, ASOS, Diageo and more. Its long-term growth strategy has been backed by global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) since 2020. In addition to 3Q Digital, six other agencies have joined the company over the past year. Earlier this month, DEPT® announced the rebranding of its US agencies and welcomed former Dentsu Aegis Network CEO, Jerry Buhlmann, as Non-Executive Chairman. With over $500 million in expected 2022 net sales, DEPT® has established a significant operational footprint in Europe, North America, and South America, and is rapidly expanding its APAC presence.

“3Q Digital has become one of the fastest-growing agencies in the world by delivering ROI and transparency,” said Dimi Albers, CEO at DEPT®.  “Together we will be able to deliver speed and scale for our clients, powered by the best talent, data and tech stack. For us, this will mark a big step forward in the US as it will double our size and ability to combine marketing and tech in integrated teams for clients, which has been the secret to our industry-leading growth in Europe.” 

The proposed transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022 and is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions (including antitrust regulatory clearance). Global investment bank, Canaccord Genuity, advised 3Q Digital on the transaction.