A new study conducted by Good-Loop for Climate Week revealed that despite the various steps that the digital advertising industry has taken to address the issue of climate change, many of its practitioners still lack the necessary training to implement sustainable practices.
According to a new report released by Good-Loop, over 70% of marketers think that the ad industry is not taking enough action to address digital advertising’s carbon footprint.
The report, which looked into how Adland is tackling the issue of digital ads’ environmental impact, found that while over 60% of advertisers track the emissions of their digital ads, 76% think that the industry should do more to address the issue of carbon costs.
Due to the complexity of the digital ad ecosystem and the increasing number of platforms that support it, the negative impact of digital advertising has also increased.
According to the report, a typical online ad campaign has an estimated carbon footprint of around 5.6 tons. In terms of video impressions, the average person flying from Boston to London has the same footprint as a single video advertisement.
To better understand how the digital advertising industry is tackling the issue of its environmental impact, Good-Loop surveyed over 400 digital marketers in the UK and the United States.
Almost all of the marketers (87%) believe that the digital ad industry is responsible for its actions to reduce carbon emissions. Around 76% of them also said that Adland should do more to help reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. Unfortunately, despite the various steps that the industry has taken to address the issue of digital ads’ environmental impact, many marketers still rely on estimates or calculations.
Amy Williams, the founder and CEO of Good-Loop, said that the results of the survey showed that the digital advertising industry is committed to reducing its carbon footprint. However, it’s still not enough to reach ad net zero. To do so, the industry needs to continuously improve its education and develop sustainable standards.
Through its Green advertising solutions, which are supported by an open-source methodology, Good-Loop aims to provide a comprehensive view of the digital advertising industry’s carbon footprint. It enables brands and agencies to make informed decisions when it comes to addressing the issue of climate change.
Dil Bole Oberoi
