Sustainability in Ad Tech in Partnership with Scope3

December 12, 2023

Sustainability is a prevailing concern across various industries today, and advertising is no exception. The environmental impact of advertising spans from the creation and production of ads to their distribution and eventual disposal. In the realm of programmatic advertising, a significant contributor to carbon emissions is the extensive network of servers required to power the necessary technology.

According to Scope3's Q1 2023 State of Sustainability Advertising Report, programmatic advertising generates a substantial 215,000 metric tons of emissions per month, equivalent to the consumption of 24 million gallons of gasoline. Why? Because the ad tech industry requires a massive network of servers to power the technology that is needed for programmatic.

Fortunately, the digital ad industry is actively addressing these concerns, with initiatives such as Green Media Products and curated Private Marketplaces (PMPs) designed to prioritize low-emission inventory. Collaborative efforts and strategic choices, such as partnering with data centers using renewable energy, underscore the industry's commitment to a more sustainable future.