Power 30 2025/26 - Flipbook - Page 5
The accreditations picture
All agencies also measure business-related emissions in full or in part, with
the majority using this to support offsetting activity. Accreditations also
reflect growing maturity and changing buyer expectations.
coVadis continues to rise (now held by 60% of recognised agencies), supported by steady uptake
in formal management standards such as ISO 14001 and ISO 20121, and a consistent level of B
Corp certification across the cohort.
E
Matt Grey, director of event:decision, believes EcoVadis is gaining traction because it offers a broad
ESG lens.
“ EcoVadis is pragmatic because it
takes a broader look at sustainability
– it covers E, S and G, not just
carbon. It’s not quite as hardcore
as B Corp, and you don’t have to
change your articles of association
to achieve it. Clients like it because
it’s a well-positioned respected
accreditation.”
While third-party accreditation continues to
gain momentum, with the majority of the 30
agencies holding at least one or in the process
of pursuing it, not all agencies in the cohort
have external certification. Accreditation can
strengthen accountability and give clients a
clearer, comparable view of progress, but it is
still possible to operate sustainably without a
badge, particularly where robust measurement,
governance and transparent reporting are in
place.
The next frontier
his year’s data also highlights the next frontier: setting and committing to longer-term targets.
While 40% of agencies have a stated net-zero ambition date, 60% do not, underlining a
gap between robust day-to-day practice and publicly stated long-term ambition. That doesn’t
mean the latter are standing still, but it does point to the challenge of committing publicly when
sustainability work must compete with time, cost and capacity. As Grey notes, “Sustainability
continues to evolve and continues to be important, but is under considerable pressure from
budgets”, a tension that agencies are navigating in real time.
T
The event delivery trends paint a similarly nuanced picture. Agencies are strongest on what could
be described as the “tactical essentials”: being able to provide event carbon data to clients,
meeting operational compliance requirements, ensuring supplier assurance, and paying closer
attention to event team wellbeing. These are increasingly baseline expectations in the buying
process.
Where the industry has the biggest opportunity to accelerate is in the areas that demonstrate
wider ESG value: delegate travel emissions, event legacy, local economic impact, and the use of
social enterprises. These are the components that move the conversation from carbon reporting
alone to a broader ESG story, and one that is often far more tangible to stakeholders.
Overall, the data paints a picture of a sector that is professionalising quickly: stronger governance,
broader measurement and growing third-party validation. The agencies featured in this year’s
Power 30 are not claiming to have solved everything, but they are demonstrating what leadership
looks like in practice and helping to raise standards for the wider industry.
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