Pollution also occurs through digital advertising campaigns. Every 1 million digital ad impressions would generate the same level of carbon dioxide emissions as a Montreal-Brussels return flight, according to Scope3. Why not find a way to reduce emissions from a $136 billion industry?
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
Who ?
Sharethrough, a technology company specializing in real-time programmatic advertising, has found a way to do this by integrating solutions from Scope3 and Carbon Direct into its services. “This project is the one that brought together the most volunteers from us, notes Benoit Skinazi, co-founder of Sharethrough. There is a real desire among employees to do good. We thus feel that advertising can have a positive impact. »
The product
A Green Media product, or green PMP (PMP meaning private marketplaces), which allows brands to offer digital advertising campaigns while measuring the resulting carbon dioxide emissions and offsetting them. All without altering the performance of the campaigns.
By planting trees? “It’s a way of doing it, but it has a long-term impact,” replies Benoit Skinazi. We work with Carbon Direct, which specializes in projects aimed at offsetting [les émissions]. There are, for example, more technological systems, air filtration to absorb carbon in the air, for example. The advertiser therefore finances this type of project all over the world with the compensation money. »
Measuring and offsetting carbon dioxide emissions is 10 to 20 cents per CPM (cost per 1,000 ad impressions). “The amount varies according to the websites, because they do not all generate the same level of emissions, specifies Benoit Skinazi. Our goal is to select the most efficient digital path, thus reducing the carbon footprint. We also allow advertisers to favor sites that generate fewer emissions. That said, you have to be able to deliver a carbon neutral campaign without altering the performance of an advertising campaign, because the goal of advertisers is to generate performance. »
innovation
Scope3, whose mission is to decarbonize media and digital advertising, has implemented technology that measures the carbon dioxide emissions of advertising. “With Scope3, we have built this capacity to measure the emissions generated by online advertising in real time,” explains Benoit Skinazi. We can thus offer media agencies and advertisers help so that they are able to decarbonise and offset their emissions. That’s the biggest challenge, having the right measurement tool combined with the right campaign tools. »
Sharethrough has designed the system in such a way that it can obtain data from emissions. “For the data to circulate in real time, we created all the connectors with Scope3, continues Benoit Skinazi. As soon as an ad campaign goes live, Scope3 receives information about where the ad is delivered, device and media type. We had to create all the connectors in real time while respecting the confidentiality of the information. The goal is not to reveal the advertisers’ strategy. »
The future
A major education effort is needed in the industry, according to Benoit Skinazi. “We see a real interest in this type of product, but the brands do not know where to start”, he judges. The reason ? Around 80% of consumers favor brands that are actively working to reduce their emissions and 55% believe brands can play a bigger role than government in having a positive climate impact, according to a May Sharethrough poll. “We can help brands to commit and set goals. »