Ad platform Good-Loop has created a tool for advertisers that helps identify and avoid carbon-intensive publishers who fail to meet their sustainability targets.
With this carbon-measurement tool, the Green Ad Tag, agencies can set their internal carbon targets on the platform and identify which publishers miss the mark. Targets are based on how much carbon each media owner generates per ad per impression. Further, the platform lets advertisers know the amount of emissions avoided based on what the agency set, so they are able to make changes mid-campaign.
The tool has been used by Brand Advance Group, which found 18% of their emissions were coming from only 10 domains. The company was able to identify these 10 out of the 1,500 publishers in their network by using the Green Ad Tag feature. The tool also reportedly helped a global car brand reduce its digital emissions by 41%.
“It can sometimes feel a little daunting looking at the scale of digital advertising's oversized carbon footprint and its impact on the environment,” said Ryan Cochrane, COO of Good-Loop. “But despite the size of the task, advertisers can make a real difference right now by making simple changes to the way they run their campaigns. Our new domain filtering feature is the perfect tool to make that happen, making it easier than ever for brands to take action against high carbon inventory on a campaign-by-campaign basis."
The average online ad emits about 5.4 tons of carbon or a third of what a typical U.S. consumer produces in a year. While the advertising industry is not always the first consideration when assessing global carbon emissions, the digital sector apparently contributes to 1.4% of global emissions.
Good-Loop, a certified B-Corp, also offers a Carbon Calculator which helps advertisers track their carbon emissions generated by online ads in real-time. The new Green Tag technology supplements companies’ tracking abilities by measuring the weight of files, assessing failed bids, and analyzing the transmission required to take a campaign from the ad server to the user device.
“It provides a simple solution to a complex, pressing issue and makes carbon reduction an essential campaign consideration without advertisers having to choose between planet and performance,” said Cochrane. “Our new tool empowers advertisers by giving them all the data and insights they need to drive down emissions, giving them the flexibility to forge their own path to net zero and ultimately help create an ad landscape that's good for the planet.”