At the 2025 Cannes Lions Festival, the UN Global Compact officially launched its CMO Blueprint for Sustainable Growth, positioning marketing leaders at the forefront of driving ESG integration and advancing carbon neutral strategies across global industries. 

The CMO Blueprint, developed through the UN Global Compact’s CMO Think Lab, provides a five-pillar strategic framework to embed sustainability into core business and brand growth initiatives. These pillars include: growth strategy, brand strategy, innovation, communications, advertising & media, and partnerships. The goal is to mobilize Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and their teams to become central agents of sustainable business transformation. 

Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, emphasized the Blueprint’s practical role: “It reflects the collective insight of marketing leaders ready to lead businesses toward a more just, inclusive, and resilient future.” The framework introduces industry benchmarks, progress-tracking tools, and a collaborative online platform for sharing best practices and case studies. 

Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, underlined marketing’s critical influence: “CMOs have a vital role in driving sustainable growth and advancing corporate sustainability strategies. This Blueprint allows the industry to harness creativity for lasting ESG impact.” 

The Blueprint’s official debut featured leaders from Mastercard, Diageo, and Nedbank, demonstrating cross-sector commitment to sustainable marketing practices. As global scrutiny intensifies on companies to meet ESG and carbon neutral strategy targets, the Blueprint offers CMOs actionable guidance to align business growth with environmental, social, and governance principles. 

By empowering marketing executives to steer sustainability agendas, the CMO Blueprint elevates marketing as a key lever for delivering meaningful carbon neutral strategies and resilient long-term value. The initiative reinforces the UN Global Compact’s vision of businesses playing an active role in achieving global sustainability goals. 

Source: 

https://esgnews.com/un-global-compact-launches-cmo-blueprint-for-sustainable-growth-at-cannes-lions/