The global climate crisis has become an ever-present threat to our planet’s future, and people are paying attention. Consumers are prioritising the environment and favouring brands that share the same values, riling up entire industries to adopt more sustainable measures. Those that refuse to take action risk being left behind.
The advertising industry, responsible for 3.5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, has not yet implemented environmental action that matches the scale of the problem. A staggering 51% of digital advertising brands don’t currently measure their carbon emissions. If the sector wants to avoid losing out on valuable audiences, now’s the time to develop a roadmap to reducing its carbon footprint.
Earth Day, which originated as an environmental movement half a century ago, is the perfect opportunity to share some effective ways to reduce emissions in digital advertising and set the industry on the right course.
Adopting environmental performance indicators
In much the same way that businesses measure revenue in currency, environmental impact must be measured through relevant indicators that provide information needed to map out a carbon reduction plan.
For example, by measuring the total volume of carbon emissions it is possible to implement a sustainable strategy and follow the reduction in absolute value over time, providing a comprehensive understanding of progress made.
The main key indicators that measure climate impact are electricity consumed, carbon intensity, and carbon emissions. Quantifying their impact with a consistent unit value provides companies with measurable data, and enables individual players along the supply chain life cycle to compare results and adjust their own targets and emissions to better align with the brand’s overall goals.
Brands can set up a carbon impact measurement tool by using measurement solutions that are granular enough to be actionable, or by using a scalable tool which automatically updates with the most recent research available. Measuring the impact of the reduction actions implemented, while a campaign is running, can also be incredibly useful, since the results are obtained in real-time.
Becoming more environmentally conscious can also be tricky, if brands lack knowledge on the most efficient actions. Comparing environmental performances to other players in the industry can offer valuable insights, but reaching out to a measurement partner for support can help improve the sustainable approach.
Eco-designing creations and distribution
A brand’s environmental impact doesn’t solely originate from operations, but the entire life cycle of a service, from design, maintenance, usage, and end of life.
The same goes for the digital advertising industry. The weight of content (amount of data required to transport content from hosting servers to displaying devices) and number of items to load (the more elements, the higher the server load) can greatly impact the environment when differing amounts of energy are required.
It means ads start consuming energy and generating carbon emissions from the moment they’re created, until the moment they’re delivered to audiences.
Creative teams can considerably reduce the energy necessary for ads’ distribution by implementing good practices when producing graphic elements of a campaign, and the click-through website.
Reducing the weight of images and display formats, reducing the weight of videos, and limiting the number of loaded items are all simple, yet effective practices that enable brands to minimise the energy spent with content distribution and ultimately reduce its carbon footprint.
Analysing ad tech stacks
The more technology services are involved in ad serving, the more resources are used and the more carbon is emitted. The data transmitted necessary for the implementation of an advertising impression has multiplied in recent years.
For example, programmatic distribution of ads has led to a myriad of intermediaries who multiply technical operations, consuming easily reducible amounts of energy if the distribution process was simplified.
When designing a media plan, it’s important to consider all additional services used, if they’re necessary, and what their impact is. The use of good digital eco-design practices is a worthwhile investment for technology publishers. Particularly, training and building skill sets that include these practices helps optimise energy performance and reduce emissions.
Reducing energy loss due to advertising waste
An advert that doesn’t reach its target results in an energy loss and unnecessary carbon emissions. Raising advertising’s distribution quality and optimising audience targeting helps curb energy wasted, by boosting ads’ visibility and lowering the rate of fraudulent impressions.
Buyers can also review their purchasing methods to avoid piloting at low CPM (cost per thousand), which involves multiplying the number of impressions leading to significant amounts of energy wasted.
Measuring action impact against counterproductive effects
Any action taken to reduce the environmental impact of a campaign must be carefully considered, as the opposite effect can occur.
For example, measuring a given campaign could show that an interactive video accounts for a significant portion of its energy consumption, leading to a transfer of budget to a different format. However, choosing a less energy intensive format for advertising printing (like a banner) could lead to a drop in the cost of printing.
If the budget remains constant, the number of impressions distributed end up being higher and the drop in emissions due to better energy efficiency could then be offset by the volume increase. This adjustment may potentially have a negative or advantageous effect, depending on the advertising type used or the pricing list used.
To avoid increases in emissions from a campaign, it’s important to measure each campaign, and analyse the environmental impact and media performance of every actionable step taken to reduce the carbon footprint.
Collective effort generates greater positive impact
Reducing emissions limited to the scope of a given player is always positive, but real change requires action across the entire distribution chain. Becoming ambassadors for more sustainable practices in the industry can inspire other brands to take actionable steps in reducing their own carbon footprints.
Collective efforts will deliver the most effective results with greater positive impact for the climate, and there is no time to wait for this. It is essential for all industry players to adopt the principle of minimising the negative impact of digital advertising on the environment when making decisions about future campaigns.
By Vincent Villaret, CEO at Impact+
