Dentsu Group Inc

Lobbying Transparency and Governance

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Direct Lobbying Transparency
Overall Assessment Comment Score
Strong Dentsu Group discloses a solid amount of detail on its climate-policy advocacy. It identifies two concrete policy areas it has tried to influence: Japan’s statutory “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculation, Reporting and Public Disclosure System” and the push for new rules on climate misinformation and disinformation that it presented to COP27 delegates, the UNFCCC and major social-media platforms. The company also sets out the channels it uses and whom it addresses. These include submitting annual 地球温暖化対策計画書 (Global Warming Countermeasure Plans) to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, direct engagement with Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and signing two open letters coordinated by the We Mean Business Coalition that were sent to the COP Presidency, individual country delegations, the UNFCCC and the CEOs of Meta, Google, Twitter, TikTok and Reddit. In addition, it records broader coalition work through bodies such as the WBCSD and Ad Net Zero. For the named policy areas Dentsu spells out the results it seeks: supporting Japan’s effort to compel companies to calculate, report and disclose emissions, and securing “a clear plan for action against climate misinformation and disinformation”, including universal definitions and preventative measures by online platforms. While its disclosures are focused on a limited set of policies, the combination of specific policy references, clear lobbying mechanisms with identified targets, and stated policy objectives reflects a strong level of transparency around its climate lobbying activity. 3
Lobbying Governance
Overall Assessment Comment Score
Strong Dentsu Group Inc. demonstrates a strong governance process to align its policy engagement—a proxy for lobbying—with its climate objectives. It explains that “Policy and stakeholder engagement is a key part of dentsu international’s global strategy and is governed by the Social Impact Steering Committee,” and that the “Chief Communications and Marketing officer … works in close collaboration with the Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Policy and Advocacy Director to ensure all direct and indirect activity that influences policy is consistent with our overall climate change strategy.” The company further states that “the trade associations we work with all have specific climate-related initiatives that promote Net Zero” and that its “Global Environmental Policy sets out criteria for all our employees and entities, including new acquisitions, to align with our climate strategy,” ensuring consistent engagement across divisions and regions. While these disclosures indicate clear oversight by a formal steering committee and named executives, and active steps to align both direct advocacy and trade-association memberships with a “1.5°C world,” the company does not disclose the detailed mechanics of how these committees conduct periodic reviews of lobbying activities or whether it publishes a dedicated climate-lobbying alignment report, suggesting room for more transparency around its monitoring procedures. 3