ADTECH VS. THE PLANET
Let’s be real: when most people think of "sustainability" and "carbon emissions" they think planes, cars, and factories, not banner ads or programmatic bidding. But the digital advertising industry, like every other, leaves a carbon footprint, and it’s way bigger than you might expect.
In an age of endless impressions and digital data transfers, the invisible engine powering your average ad campaign is guzzling energy behind the scenes. From servers and supply chains to creative files and vendor networks, adtech is having a very real impact on climate change.
So, how bad is it, and more importantly, what are we doing about it?
Adtech’s unfortunate secret
The numbers are sobering:
- As of 2024, global atmospheric CO2 concentrations reached 424.55 parts per million (ppm), a 15% increase since 2000.
- Scope3, a leader in supply chain emissions data, found that programmatic advertising generates 215,000 metric tons of carbon emissions each month. That includes everything from data centers to real-time bidding, to the actual creative being served.
- Climate pioneers The Carbon Trust estimate that the average digital ad campaign emits around 5.4 tons of CO2, equivalent to the annual emissions of a single car.
Here’s the kicker: a single programmatic ad impression can involve dozens of tech vendors, each one adding energy consumption and emissions into the mix. The sheer complexity of our ecosystem makes it tricky to track who’s responsible, and even harder to reduce the impact without sacrificing campaign performance.
The green adtech movement: sustainability in advertising
Thankfully, we’re starting to clean up our act. A wave of sustainability initiatives is sweeping through the industry, with companies and coalitions tackling emissions from all angles:
1. Ad Net Zero
Ad Net Zero is a global initiative working to decarbonise the advertising industry entirely by 2030, covering everything from production to media planning. Launched by the Advertising Association (UK), Ad Net Zero has now expanded to other markets like the US.
In August 2024, Ad Net Zero launched the world’s first Global Media Sustainability Framework at Cannes Lions, supported, at least in principle, by every holdco, industry body and tech giant of note. The Framework provides global voluntary standards to calculate media emissions.
Check out their resources:
2. Scope3
Scope3 is a recognised authority on emissions measurement in the advertising supply chain. They provide transparency into carbon emissions across the ad supply chain and helping buyers make low-carbon media choices.
Read their research:
- 2023 Report: The State of Sustainable Advertising
- Exploring the Climate Impact of Click Fraud
- Sustainability in Media Planning
3. The Conscious Advertising Network
The Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) is a voluntary coalition of 150+ organisations committed to aligning advertising practices with human rights and sustainability principles. Their mission is to ensure that industry standards evolve in step with the responsibilities of the digital age. CAN has become a prominent voice in the push for more conscious, ethical, and climate-aware media practices, advocating for systemic change across the ad ecosystem.
See their resources:
4. IAB UK
IAB UK produces environmental sustainability resources and FAQs with a goal of helping their members understand how to best reduce their carbon emissions and fulfil their environmental commitments in the supply chain.
See their resources:
- Environmental sustainability resources
- FAQ search for IAB companies committed to sustainability
- Guide to sustainability training courses
5. AdGreen
AdGreen empowers the advertising industry to reduce its negative environmental impact by providing the means to measure, understand and reduce carbon emissions through free carbon measurement tools.
Access their measurement tools:
What you can do (yes, you!)
You don’t have to be a media buyer or CTO to make a difference. Whether you’re a strategist, salesperson, creative, or developer, there’s something you can do today to start reducing your footprint:
1. Rethink your metrics
Chasing impressions at all costs? Time to pivot. Swap volume for value: fewer, higher-quality placements = lower emissions and better performance.
2. Go light on creative
Heavy creative files = more data transferred = more emissions. Compress those videos, cut down on autoplay, and ditch the auto-looping animation when you can.
3. Pick sustainable partners
Choose vendors and platforms that are transparent about their emissions. Ask questions. Push for green policies in your procurement process.
4. Build cleaner tech
If you're working in dev or product, prioritise efficient code and energy-optimised platforms. Green engineering is a growing field, and adtech can be part of the solution.
5. Speak up
Change happens faster when people demand it. Join internal green teams, support industry pledges, and advocate for sustainable practices in your org.
What's next?
There's plenty more to learn about how the world of digital advertising works. Dive into our Adtech Uni to find out more!
Adtech Glossary
If you have more buzzwords, acronyms and techie know-how you need to break down, you can check out our adtech glossary below – 150+ adtech terms explained in layman's terms!
Adtech Basics
Adtech is a vast, complex ecosystem full of acronyms and moving parts. This is our no-nonsense guide on the basics, jargon-free so you can make sense of adtech even if you've not got a techie bone in your body.
Measuring Success
Clicks, impressions, conversions. What does it all mean? Learn about the key ad metrics and how advertisers measure their campaign success with simple attribution models.
Common Challenges
Like all industries, the adtech world has its hurdles, including ad fraud, viewability and brand safety. We explain the challenges and how the industry fights to keep advertising honest.
Privacy and Regulation
Data privacy is more than just a buzzword. Over the years, it continues to be responsible for changing how adtech works. We explain GDPR, cookie changes, and how your data is used.
The Future of Adtech
From AI to Connected TV and retail media, adtech is always evolving fast. Get a quick look at the trends that have been shaping the future of digital advertising across the past few years.
FAQ
Q: How does digital advertising impact the environment?
A: Programmatic adtech consumes significant energy across servers, data centres and vendor networks. In the UK, digital ad campaigns contribute measurable carbon emissions.
Q: What steps can UK advertisers take to reduce adtech carbon footprints?
A: Using energy-efficient ad servers, optimising creative file sizes and choosing low-impact vendors can lower emissions while maintaining campaign performance.
Q: Is sustainable adtech compatible with performance marketing?
A: Yes. Privacy-first targeting, first-party data use and efficiency-focused programmatic strategies reduce environmental impact without compromising ROI.
Additional Reading
"Programmatic’s Carbon Problem" – Digiday
A breakdown of the environmental impact of real-time bidding and programmatic ad chains.
"The Environmental Cost of Digital Advertising" – WARC
A comprehensive article on emissions in the digital ecosystem.
"Why Does Sustainability Measurement Matter?" – IAS
A 2024 breakdown of why we should care about environmental impact, including how it affects consumer mindset of a brand.
"Does the Ad Industry Take Sustainability Seriously?" – ExchangeWire
A 2024 round-up of industry experts weighing in on the progress towards sustainability and why there is hope yet.
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