The Clock Is Ticking on Advertising Emissions
When it comes to measuring and reducing the emissions of digital advertising campaigns, the clock is ticking for the global marketing industry. A recent report by Dentsu and Microsoft Advertising revealed that more than three-quarters of consumers want to spend money only with brands that practice sustainable advertising within the next five years. Even more telling, 42% of respondents said brands should provide clear, comparable information about the environmental impact of their products and marketing activities.
What Does Measuring CO₂ Emissions Really Mean?
Carbon reporting typically falls into three categories:
Direct emissions from assets you own (like office spaces).
Energy-related emissions from the electricity you consume.
Upstream and downstream emissions from activities not directly under your control but tied to your operations.
For digital advertisers, it’s this last group — the often-overlooked indirect emissions — that holds significant opportunity for change.
Reducing Emissions Starts Now
Waiting for an industry-wide standard isn’t an option. Brands can already take meaningful steps to cut the emissions of their campaigns:
Simplify your tech stack. With third-party cookies on the way out, many organizations are already auditing their partners. Reducing the layers between ad creation and delivery not only streamlines buying and placement but also trims down indirect emissions generated along the way.
Lighten the data load. Shorter ads are lighter than longer ones, and optimizing formats, compression, and asset sizes reduces the energy needed to serve them. This simple step not only lowers campaign emissions but also improves user experience, conserves battery power, and extends device lifespans.
Shift focus from impressions to attention. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: countless digital impressions deliver little to no value. Instead of chasing sheer volume, brands should prioritize attention — the meaningful engagement that drives real outcomes. By cutting wasted impressions, advertisers reduce their carbon footprint while amplifying effectiveness.
From Impressions to Impact
Sustainability in advertising is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s a mandate. By reducing unnecessary impressions, lightening data-heavy assets, and rethinking the tech stack, brands can meaningfully cut emissions today. More importantly, they can shift the conversation from reach at any cost to impact that matters: real attention that respects both audiences and the planet.