Sustainability initiatives and owners in digital advertising
Posted on Wednesday 24 May 2023 | IAB UK
From reducing carbon emissions to setting the standards - we've produced this handy grid to keep track of the sustainability initiatives progressing right across the digital media industry
Last updated: June 2023
Organisation |
Contact |
Objectives |
Deliverables |
IAB UK |
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IAB Europe |
*This framework will be supported by National Federations and delivered by the Sustainability Standards Committee. This will provide digital expertise and will also provide support and engagement with other relevant trade organisations and industry initiatives. |
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IAB Tech Lab |
To deliver the Green Initiative by:
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In Scope*
* Tech Lab is not going to add an emissions number anywhere in the OpenRTB spec or Ads.txt/App-ads.txt files) |
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Ad Net Zero |
To decarbonise advertising operations and promote sustainable, products, services and behaviours |
1. Getting house in order: To help UK businesses decarbonise, with a carbon calculator to track and analyse operational carbon emissions 2. Reducing emissions from Ad Production: Using tools e.g. AdGreen, to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of productions 3. Reducing emissions from Ad Distribution: To help tackle media plans, launched a working group to standardise carbon calculations through a global data framework 4. Reducing emissions through events and awards 5. Harnessing advertising’s power to drive behaviour change: Launching the Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards and helping promote the work of regulators around the rules on environmental claims. Developing a framework with PWC to measure the ad industry’s responsibility on the resulting carbon impact from the sale of products and services supported by advertising campaigns |
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IPA |
Playing an integral role in Ad Net Zero - UK and Global |
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ISBA |
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Currently identifying advertisers’ barriers and issues, then will set priorities and identify deliverables |
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AOP |
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Survey ran in 2022 to gain a better understanding of members’ Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials
Set up three ESG groups – Decarbonisation, DE&I / Supply Chain and Content and Impact - looking at what publishers are doing editorially. |

More on sustainability
We've pulled together the work we are doing with our members to minimise the industry’s impact on the environment, as well as the steps we’ve put in place to get our own office and business operations in order
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