Havas Immerse achieves important milestone
KUALA LUMPUR: Havas Immerse, part of Havas Group, has become the first creative agency in Malaysia to achieve a B Corp certification from B Lab, a non-profit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet.
This achievement is a significant milestone in the agency’s ongoing commitment to build an inclusive and sustainable workplace for everyone.
Havas Immerse joins a global movement of more than 5,000 B Corps in 156 industries and 80 countries – each committed to balancing people, planet, and profit and using business as a force for good.
The B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.
Havas Immerse began its certification process back in 2020 with the agency having to meet rigorous standards of accountability and transparency across five key areas.
These include governance, workers, community, environment and customers by enacting policies that reduce carbon emissions, providing fair and living wages to its staff, meeting ethical standards regarding practices in their supply chain, and giving back to their community.
Havas Immerse has committed itself to reaching the standards required by B Corp with the following initiatives:
> A private retirement scheme for the staff’s financial security on top of the mandatory Employee Provident Fund.
> Mental health care being provided to all staff in addition to the healthcare services covered by their healthcare insurance.
> A robust written non-discrimination policy on hiring and the workplace.
> Continuously managing and improving workplace diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
> Environmental efficiency practices in place and the agency’s office building employs energy-saving strategies, uses systems for increasing water efficiency, monitors and increases air quality and is LEED-certified.
> Recycle/reduce/reuse programmes and strict policies are followed for reducing carbon footprint, residual waste consumption and single-use plastic.
“At Havas, we continuously strive to make a meaningful difference in what we do and in that, we have a key role to play by operating responsibly both for ourselves and our stakeholders.
“As a creative agency, we have the power to harness our creative ideas to result in positive action for our society, our clients and our people”, said Andrew Lee, group managing director for Havas Immerse Malaysia.
Adding on further, he said: “The B Corp certification will help us to continuously measure ourselves both internally and externally and ensure we are making the right impact”.
Commending the team on their B Corp certification, Alberto Canteli, chief executive officer and chairman Havas Group (Nordics central and eastern Europe and Middle East, South-East Asia and North-East Asia) said: “More than ever, society has increasingly become more conscious environmentally and socially.
“Clients now expect agencies to be more aware and have a point of view on these issues. Being B Corp certified will not only be a differentiator when attracting both talent and new business in an increasingly competitive environment but will also ensure we walk the talk.
“This is an excellent achievement for the team and our region as Havas Immerse now joins Havas UK, Havas London, Havas Lemz Amsterdam and Havas New York offices who are already B Corp certified following our group’s country by country certification approach,” added Canteli.
To maintain the certification, the agency is required to undergo a verification process every three years to recertify, ensuring it is committed to it for the long-term and not as a one-off achievement.
Havas is one of the world’s largest global communications groups. Founded in 1835 in Paris, the group employs 20,000 people in more than 100 countries. It operates with three business units (creative, media and healthcare & wellness) within 58 Havas Villages all over the world.
