ITV shares its 2022 Social Purpose Impact Report

ITV recently unveiled its Social Purpose Impact report for 2022, covering four core areas, including Better Health, Climate Action, Diversity and Inclusion and Giving Back. “At ITV our Social Purpose is at the heart of who we are and how we work. It’s really important for our people, for our clients and partners, for investors and for our audiences," Carolyn McCall, ITV’s CEO said. "We’re deeply committed to real change and as the impact report shows we are continuing to successfully deliver on our ambition to reflect and shape culture for good.” 

In hopes of minimizing problems related to mental health, ITV used its platforms to encourage audiences to look after themselves. According to the report, 47 million actions taken by the UK public to support their physical and mental health. "Britain Get Talking" covered young people’s mental health crisis and encouraged 7 million people to connect with others - up from 3.5 million in 2021. 1.8 million people took action to care for their mental health as a result of ITV2’s #WhatGetsYouThrough campaign in partnership with Calm whilst Unwind with ITV reached over 850k streaming hours of nightly mindfulness content via ITVX. 

Poll research commissioned by ITV and extrapolated to population level indicates that 47 million healthy actions were taken by the public as a result of ITV’s Better Health campaigns in 2022. In terms of ITV’s work to support the nation’s physical health, 1.1 million children ate more vegetables as a result of ITV’s partnership with Veg Power on Eat Them To Defeat them, and over 70,000 more children signed up to the Daily Mile, following a new campaign supported by ITV. The company has set a 5-year target of 200 million healthy actions by the end of 2023, and this puts the total to date at 164 million.  

ITV was also ranked among the top 2% of disclosing companies in the world for its work in climate action, and in its report, confirmed the launch of an £80 million Diversity Commissioning Fund to drive change towards racial and disability equity and over £29 million raised for good causes. The company has reduced carbon emissions in its control by 36% and emissions it influences by 13% compared to its baseline year. 94% of UK programs produced by ITV Studios were certified by the BAFTA albert scheme as sustainable, up from 84% in 2021. "This is a significant marker of ITV’s commitment to reaching net-zero.  ITV was awarded an A by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) making it amongst the top 2% of disclosing companies in the world for their commitment to climate action," the report reads. "This commitment was played out on-screen and off-screen, with 94% of ITV colleagues completing Climate Action training and 2.7 million people shopping more sustainably as a result of the Love Island x Ebay pre-loved fashion partnership."

ITV has also kicked off its three year global strategy, with a focus on creating and showcasing content by, with and for everyone, connecting and reflecting modern audiences.  The company's Diversity Commissioning Fund was launched, reserving £80 million over three years to drive change towards racial and disability equity in TV production. £25.1 million was spent in 2022, including £16.3 million on content made by People of Colour-led and d/Deaf, Disabled and neurodiverse-led production companies. Shows qualifying for the fund include Sorry, I Didn't Know, a comedy panel show about Black History, Joe and John Bishop: Life After Deaf, where Deaf creatives held senior positions in production, and Riches, a glossy, high stakes family drama. 

In addition to launching initiatives tackling lack of diveristy and inclusion, ITV has introduced new and diverse voices across the platform’s most popular shows, with the first physically disabled player taking part in Soccer Aid and initiatives like Fresh Cuts showcasing up-and-coming Black Directors. New opportunities were introduced for underrepresented groups at every level of the business, from senior leadership programmes like Amplify, to Kickstart, a 6-month placement scheme for those coming into the industry. For the first time, ITV will today publish its Disability and LGBTQ+ pay gaps alongside their Gender and Ethnicity pay gaps. 

The report also confirmed that ITV has continued its longstanding partnership with UNICEF to raise a record-breaking £15.7 million for Soccer Aid, up 20% on the 2021 total, whilst Concert for Ukraine raised £13.4m for the Disasters Emergency Committee to support those affected by the war in Ukraine. The company has also prioritized representation and training for news creatives, confirming approximately 1,440 hours in mentoring to date.  “Research shows over two thirds (69%) of the UK public believe broadcasters can shape our culture for the better, and here at ITV we strongly agree," Susie Braun, Director of Social Purpose said. "Our 2022 Social Purpose Impact Report shows how we’re using our platform to make a difference both off-screen and within the industry, and on-screen, by inspiring positive change in the wider world."