Advertising now contributes 2-3% of global emissions yet most clients aren’t measuring it. That blind spot is a growing liability. When one of the world’s most lucrative beauty brands included digital advertising in their scope 3 emissions inventory, they discovered it was their 3rd largest category of emissions.
With new standards emerging, stakeholder pressure growing, and rising awareness over how material advertising emissions really are, inaction puts your client at risk. As pressure builds, the spotlight won’t just be on brands, it will fall on their agency partners, too.
That’s why Ad Net Zero in partnership with Comms Council has launched An Advertiser’s Guide to Carbon Efficiency a practical, commercially focused resource designed to help agencies reduce the long-term risk exposure of their clients, while maintaining campaign performance. Zealand advertisers now have a practical, proven toolkit to become carbon-efficient without compromising budget or performance.
The guide reveals that emissions from advertising are often unmeasured and unaccounted for. Brands with significant media investment are frequently surprised at how material these emissions are once measured.
“This report is a wake-up call for agencies, advertisers, and production partners,” says Simon Lendrum, CEO of the Commercial Communications Council. “We’ve made great progress on sustainable products and services - now it’s time to deliver on sustainable marketing. These ten actions should become the industry standard.”
More than just ideas, the guide provides actionable best practices supported by tools, templates, and real-world case studies from brands like L’Oréal, Heineken, and One NZ.
“A marketing team could read the guide over morning coffee and take meaningful action by lunch,” says Jennifer Gunn, Head of Sustainability for Comms Council and Ad Net Zero. “Start by piloting just one initiative.”
Ad Net Zero Aotearoa and IAB New Zealand is calling on their respective communities to lead this change by downloading the guide and embedding these actions as standard practice across campaigns.
Download the Advertisers Guide to Carbon Efficiency below.