Media supply chains generate CO2 emissions at every stage, from ad creation through to the electricity used to serve and consume those ads. With the rise of programmatic and AI-driven production, energy demands have increased further, intensifying the environmental impact of media and highlighting the need to better understand and mitigate these emissions.
There is a regulatory imperative too: with mandatory sustainability reporting soon required under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), businesses must be able to calculate media emissions to ensure they are compliant.
30% of major companies could have material media emissions which require reporting under CSRD, however our research suggests that fewer than 2% are currently disclosing their media emissions. This highlights a critical disconnect between the ability to quantify media emissions and the integration of media within company-wide sustainability reporting needs.
The media industry has collectively acknowledged the need to act. AdNetZero has taken over responsibility for the Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF), an initiative MediaSense are proud to be supporting. GMSF is designed to support businesses in measuring and ultimately reducing carbon emissions across their media supply chain.
This framework is a useful reference point, but there is still a lot to do, particularly for businesses with large media footprints. For these companies, reducing the environmental impact of media is crucial. However, you cannot reduce until you measure, and you cannot measure until you understand. At MediaSense, we are supporting some of the world’s leading brands on their sustainability journey across these three core areas – Understand, Measure and Reduce. So here are five ‘quick wins’ to kick-start the ‘understanding’ stage of your journey.
1. Build a Business Case
Begin by defining media sustainability goals which are aligned to your broader business objectives. Demonstrate to other leaders within your business what is meant by a media supply chain, through conveying the different media channels (e.g. Digital, TV, OOH) and their stages (creation, distribution and consumption). Articulate the benefits of incorporating media into the broader sustainability strategy (along with the risks of not doing so), to help secure internal buy-in and alignment.
2. High-Level Materiality Assessment
Using your company’s media spend by channel and market, use an advisor such as MediaSense to estimate the total media emissions generated. Compare this figure to your company’s overall emissions to determine whether media emissions are material to your business. While the definition of “material” can vary, a rough benchmark of 5% of total emissions is typically considered material for this analysis. In the case of a global FMCG company, MediaSense found that emissions produced from media accounted for twice the emissions produced from electricity, with the latter being disclosed in their reporting but the former not yet disclosed.
3. Map Your Media Supply Chain
You need to understand exactly who is involved with the delivery of your media, from creation to the final delivery. Map out your full media distribution supply chain, including all channels, platforms, ad tech providers, data centers and broadcast services. Every entity in this chain contributes to the environmental impact and you cannot measure what you cannot map.
4. Engage With Partners Across Your Media Supply Chain
Once you have mapped your media supply chain and identified the players involved (Step 3), the next step is engaging with each of these entities to understand their current emissions practices.
This involves initiating conversations with your partners – creative and media agencies, platforms, ad tech providers, data centers and broadcasters, to understand their current practices regarding emissions.
Start by exploring whether they track their carbon emissions and, if so, how they do it. Ask if they have frameworks or systems in place to measure and report emissions. Additionally, inquire about any initiatives they may have implemented, or are planning, to reduce their environmental impact.
This dialogue is key to uncovering gaps, identifying opportunities for collaboration, and laying the groundwork for a more sustainable media supply chain.
Your aim should be to understand their current capabilities and challenges so you can collectively work towards reducing emissions across the entire ecosystem.
5. Actionable Wins
Sustainable, long-lasting change begins with a thorough understanding of your media supply chain before implementing targeted reduction strategies. However, there are several quick wins which can be initiated in the meantime which can reduce your carbon impact without compromising campaign objectives. For instance, choosing low-impact formats, reducing unnecessary impressions, or adjusting ad timing (emissions are typically twice as high in the evening), can achieve engagement goals just as effectively while minimising your environmental impact.
Act Now
Media creation, distribution and consumption have a significant environmental impact, and if you’re not already preparing, you could find yourself at risk of falling behind. Understanding, measuring and ultimately reducing the carbon impact of your media will help you to meet net zero targets and comply with emerging regulations, while also showing consumers that you are doing the right thing for the planet.
MediaSense are working with a number of clients to support their Media Sustainability ambitions. For more information on any of the above, please contact Adam Edelshain & Alice Digby-Shipton.