Businesses and consumers alike are increasingly aware of the carbon footprint our habits cause. A little-discussed problem is how much energy goes into digital advertising and what this means for the environment. Why is this an issue worth talking about? Can we do something about it?

Many are used to thinking that if something is digital it is also environmentally friendly. It doesn't require us to cut down trees to produce newspapers, nor do we have to drive to the video store to rent our Sunday night movies. But just because something is better doesn't mean it can’t improve.

A significant but solvable problem

Measuring emissions from a global ecosystem like the internet isn’t straightforward. One of the more reliable estimates seems to come from a study published in the Environmental Impact Assessment Review, which estimated that online advertising accounts for approximately 10% of the Internet's energy use, corresponding to approximately 60 million tons of CO2, albeit with significant variations. By comparison, the airline industry globally produces approximately one billion tons. 

Did anyone predict that those little banner ads on your screen could cause pollution equal to 6% of the global airline industry? 

One can rightly argue that it is important to quantify the problem before initiating extensive changes. But we know two things that can contribute to the reduction of emissions, regardless of what the starting point is. First, we know a lot about what causes the emissions and which measures contribute to reduction. Second, we know that positive changes are taking place in the advertising market, which could accelerate if the positive effects on the environment also become known to more people.

Many a little makes a mickle

When you go to a website to read news, the browser on your phone or desktop will, somewhat simplified, call a server, which in turn responds with content that is rendered by the browser. Simple.

With ads it is not so simple, especially not with programmatic advertising. First, the website will send calls to several supply platforms, or SSPs. Which in turn will send calls to several different purchase platforms, or DSPs. Both SSPs and DSPs might use third party measurement tools, which in turn set even more servers into spin. A single ad display can easily be the result of hundreds of servers, all spinning and consuming electricity. Many a little makes a mickle.

Back to the Future

Positive change is taking place, supporting sustainable alternatives. Media companies are increasingly assuming responsibility for consumer privacy and reducing the number of third parties involved in the auctions. They are increasingly dropping open programmatic trading. Norwegian publishers like Schibsted and Amedia have introduced self-service solutions where advertisers can buy directly from them rather than going through the programmatic jungle, which also increases the price tag of each impression.

This is good news that everyone should hear about, especially advertisers concerned about making better choices on where to place their ad budgets.

Adnuntius can also help you in a number of ways. Reach out to us and we’ll tell you more about how we help publishers and buyers with solutions better for the environment. Contact us any time at hello@adnuntius.com.