Working with the environmental company Future Forests, it is offering a service to all clients, enabling them to work out the amount of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide that is produced when making their ads.
The initiative provides a direct way for companies to meet clients' and consumers' increasing concern about corporate social responsibility. It hopes to reduce the estimated 500,000 tons of CO2 emissions produced by the advertising industry each year.
The effect of global warming and reducing CO2 emissions are a hot topic around the world and the director Roland Emmerich has just launched the first carbon-neutral Hollywood film, The Day After Tomorrow.
The first client to take part in St Luke's CarbonNeutral initiative is BT, with its new "more power to you" brand campaign. It was calculated that the campaign would have used 200 tons of CO2, but the effect was neutralised by BT and St Luke's at the cost of £3,500.
Sue Welland, the founder and creative director of Future Forests, said: "We need a step-change in corporate and consumer behaviour to deal with global warming. We call on other agencies and clients to follow St Luke's lead."
St Luke's is now working with Future Forests to publish a guide that will show how the advertising industry can address sustainability and environmental issues. It is also looking to produce a carbon calculator designed to help the advertising industry make more environmentally friendly ads.
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