Accelerating Industry Progress: Charting a more Sustainable Path for Advertising

Ad Net Zero introduced a session that delved into a paper from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. The paper centres on the measurement and monitoring of advertising’s carbon footprint. It not only outlines the ways and locations where advertising emissions take place but also explored the potential of aligning sustainable practices with commercial success.

Featuring Felipe Thomaz, associate professor at Oxford, and Elle Chartres, UK director of Ad Net Zero, the session underscored the crucial role of this alignment in building a future that is both commercially viable and environmentally sustainable. Several key actions were highlighted as crucial steps toward a more sustainable advertising industry, including:

• Shifting the mindset to prioritize both profit and carbon considerations.
• Taking swift action to decarbonize the industry by addressing advertising emissions head-on.
• Assisting in the integration of a new standard line that facilitates emissions reduction.
• Leveraging our superpower as communicators and marketers to help businesses measure intangibles and drive positive consumer behavior change.

We need to understand and embrace the power we have to make a real difference. It’s crucial that we use this power responsibly to drive meaningful changes in consumer behaviour.

Marcin Zerek