AdGreen, the Advertising Association’s initiative, has launched a free carbon calculator to help advertising production companies reach Net Zero and reduce their impact on climate change.
The carbon calculator allows registered users to collaborate and input information for four key production areas like travel and transport, energy and fuels, materials and catering.
By doing this agencies, production companies and production service companies can focus on the highest carbon-emitting elements and make changes accordingly.
Jo Coombes, project director at AdGreen explained: “We really hope this tool will be a game changer for the industry. If we truly want to reach Net Zero then we need to start measuring and understanding our carbon impact.
“The information generated by this tool will help companies make informed decisions in relation to internal reduction targets and become more carbon literate in the process. Not only that but draft footprints can be created at script stage which will allow creative teams to see if they have inadvertently baked emissions into their scripts. Similarly, it’ll mean that clients can see the carbon data on work they’re commissioning and make informed decisions at the procurement stage.”
The tool was designed by Alchemy Digital and developed by Bafta Media Technology Limited who also created the Bafta’s Albert carbon calculator for the film and TV industry.
Unilever, Adam&Eve/DDB, Havas UK & Havas Studios and Biscuit also supported the design.
More than 130 brands, agencies and production companies are already registered to use the tool.
In line with this new carbon tool launch, an Advertising Association spokesman suggested that, during the course of this crucial decade for climate action, there may well be carbon budgets as well as financial budgets set for advertising production.
The calculator was funded by the new AdGreen Levy, introduced in June 2021, a 0.25% charge on the cost of producing an advertising asset for participating companies.
This new tool ties in with one of Ad Net Zero’s key actions on its five-point plan which is to track, measure and reduce carbon emissions in ad production.
This will be discussed at the Ad Net Zero Global Summit on 3 and 4 November where the calculator will also be demonstrated.
