Mediabrands and Scope3 Partnership Hastens Move to Net-Zero in Media

15 Nov 2022

IPG Mediabrands and Scope3 announced a first-of-its kind industry partnership to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of digital advertising, which will help codify an industry standard for emissions measurement, using guidelines established by Scope3. Mediabrands is the first global media and agency network to partner with Scope3.

Brands are increasingly leaning on agency partners to develop pathways to reduce and eliminate carbon emissions from digital advertising. In partnership with Scope3, Mediabrands will introduce services to clients that decarbonize media emissions at scale and provide a road map to net-zero:

  • Measurement and reporting: Mediabrands will gain access to end-to-end emissions data for every digital ad impression, augmenting its existing media consumption carbon calculator, which quantifies a portion of the emissions generated by the end user consuming the ad.
  • Carbon-neutral media products: Scope3’s Green Media Products use emissions data to factor the cost of carbon into the price of advertising and provide a clear and measurable path to achieve carbon-neutral activations.
  • Industry engagement: Leveraging Scope3’s emissions measurement, Mediabrands will initiate dialogue and collaboration across the digital supply chain to promote ad delivery paths that are optimized to reduce emissions. Ultimately, Mediabrands will shift media investment to partners that demonstrate a commitment to ongoing emissions reductions.

“Our partnership with Scope3 is one of many commitments Mediabrands is making to take intentional steps in support of climate action as part of our broader Media for Good efforts,” said Eileen Kiernan, Global CEO of Mediabrands. “For action to be taken, access to accurate data and reporting is an essential first step. Scope3 provides critical insights and information that enable us to make smarter, cleaner investment choices.”

“Real change happens when accurate measurement and standardization become the norm in every part of the digital ecosystem, and agency participation is imperative to industry-wide adoption,” said Brian O’Kelley, CEO of Scope3. “Mediabrands partnering with Scope3 to guide clients on their sustainability journey is a huge step in the right direction to decarbonize media. Their direct relationships with brands and global reach put them in a unique and powerful position to accelerate change and move the industry closer toward its net-zero goals worldwide.”

The announcement of this partnership comes on the heels of the fourth edition of the Mediabrands Media Responsibility Index (MRI 4.0), which expanded to include insights in priority areas of partner accountability that align with industry-adopted ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) frameworks. By aligning the MRI to ESG frameworks, businesses easily extend how they are measuring their impact in these spaces to include media.