Leading Organizations Across Advertising Have Joined Ad Net Zero

Ad Net Zero has welcomed a number of new supporters since the US launch in February of this year. Ad Net Zero is the industry’s only trade association who focuses exclusively on sustainability in the advertising industry. Ad Net Zero’s mission is to lower and remove carbon emissions from advertising operations through convening all parties in the industry and leveraging the power of its supporters to educate, measure, define standards that drive action and lasting change. Over the last two months, organizations such as the AAF, APR, Eyeo, DPAA, Kroger Brand Marketing and Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM), Givsly, Index Exchange, Mediaocean, Nova, VMG, and Zefr have signed on. Additionally, several additional agency holding company subsidiaries have engaged in the US working groups, including TBWA, PXP Studios, UMW, Craft WW, dentsu, Wunderman Thompson and Havas.

The recent new supporters represent a spectrum of companies from across the advertising industry from ad tech to responsibility platforms to brands and join a growing number of Global supporters who also have a presence in the US.

Supporters participate in Ad Net Zero’s working groups as we collectively determine the best approach to industry emissions reduction. Supporters also receive training, access to exclusive sessions with leaders in sustainability, research and thought leadership. Ad Net Zero’ also provides supporters with discounts to a range of resources and tools which help to accelerate progress in measuring and reducing advertising carbon emissions.

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Examples include

• Ad Net Zero’s Essentials training through the IP
• AdGreen carbon calculator for production
• isla TRACE carbon calculator tool for events
• #ChangeTheBrief Alliance resources and platform.

Ad Net Zero supporters have a front row seat and role as standards and best practices are being defined, such as Ad Net Zero’s collaboration with GARM to create global standards for reducing emissions through media planning and buying and evaluating the landscape of media tools available.

“Ad Net Zero exists to further sustainability in advertising, and we’re thrilled to see so many different organizations support us in the US and at a global level,” said John Osborn, Director, Ad Net Zero US. “We foster collaborative progress and work to help our supporters and the larger advertising ecosystem reduce emissions from their own operations.”

Ad Net Zero US was launched in February 2023 in partnership with the 4A’s, the ANA and the IAB, joined by more than 50 organizations operating in the market, with represents 40% of the world’s ad spend. Since that time, supporters have divided into five working groups to take action within Ad Net Zero’s five point plan:

1. Curtail operational emissions – Companies commit to curtail their carbon emissions by reducing travel, non-sustainable energy use and waste, to establish a pathway to net zero emissions in advertising.
2. Reduce emissions from ad production – Advertisers, agencies and production companies commit to adopt tools and training to measure, manage and reduce the emissions from advertising production, such as the AdGreen carbon calculator.
3. Reduce emissions from media planning and buying – Developed through industry collaboration, media agencies commit to use carbon measurement programs, working with their clients to measure, manage and reduce the emissions from media distribution. The Ad Net Zero working group is also involved with GARM on overall standards and best practices, and the IAB Tech Lab’s Green Initiative.
4. Reduce emissions from industry awards and events – Event organizers work to build sustainability credentials into the entry criteria for awards, focusing on not just the ‘what’ but the ‘how’ and to plan events that minimize carbon footprint.
5. Harness advertising’s power to support behavior change – Advertisers and their agencies commit to harness the power of their advertising to accelerate more sustainable customer choices and behaviours and drive more sustainable consumption.

“As sustainability becomes a higher priority here in the US, we are seeing growing interest in Ad Net Zero and collaboration among companies to drive forward best practices, common measurement frameworks, education and quantifiable improvement, and to publicly hold themselves accountable. Progress is paramount, and steady acceleration is what’s needed most,” notes Osborn.

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