As sustainability becomes a key issue for brands, Google Ads is launching an innovative tool: Carbon Footprint for Google Ads . This solution allows advertisers to accurately measure the environmental impact of their online advertising campaigns, based on first-party data. This is another step towards more responsible digital advertising, aligned with CSR commitments, despite the difficulty and complexity of quantifying everything.
Why measure the carbon footprint of your ads?
Digital advertising relies on complex and energy-intensive IT infrastructure, including data centers and delivery networks. These activities generate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which until recently were difficult to measure at the ad account level. With Carbon Footprint for Google Ads , it is now possible to:
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Get ad account-specific estimates
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View emissions broken down by Scope 1, 2 and 3 categories
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Use this data to feed your own ESG or CSR reports
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Identify levers for optimization or carbon offsetting
Google is thus part of a desire for increased transparency towards advertisers and consumers.
Understanding GHG Emission Scopes
According to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, greenhouse gas emissions are classified into three categories:
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Scope 1 : Direct emissions from controlled or owned sources (e.g. on-site combustion, vehicles, refrigerants)
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Scope 2 : indirect emissions linked to electricity consumption
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Scope 3 : other indirect emissions, linked to the value chain (purchase of equipment, travel, transport, etc.)
These definitions are essential for properly interpreting the reports provided by Google Ads. For further information, you can consult the official documentation on methodology and calculations .
How does the Carbon Footprint tool work?
The tool is based on internationally recognized standards, including the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) and the Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF) . It is based on analysis of the use of Google's IT infrastructure, such as data centers and Content Delivery Network (CDN) servers.
Two types of calculations are provided:
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Location-based emissions : calculated hour by hour based on the actual energy composition of the electricity network used.
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Market-based emissions : Adjusted for Google's clean energy purchases in different regions.
Each report is attributed at the ad account level , based on actual activity (won/lost auctions, targeting, ad format used, etc.). This approach allows for an accurate and actionable breakdown of the emissions generated by your campaigns.
What does the report cover?
The carbon footprint report covers the following:
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Scope 1 : Fuels for emergency generators, gases used for heating, emissions from air conditioning systems
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Scope 2 : electricity consumption linked to the operation of servers (with or without taking into account green energy)
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Scope 3 : Equipment manufacturing, data center construction, business travel, and supply chain emissions
Please note: Emissions related to end-user consumption (e.g., Internet network, Internet users' devices) are not included , but the data provided can be used to estimate these downstream impacts.
Unprecedented granularity
One of the distinctive features of this tool is its ability to draw on machine-by-machine , hour-by-hour data to calculate power consumption. This allows:
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Ultra-precise allocation of electricity used by service
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An estimate of emissions per day, per data center, per advertising account
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A presentation of monthly aggregated data ready to integrate into your ESG tables
For companies that also use Google cloud services, it is possible to complement this analysis with the Google Cloud Carbon Footprint tool, designed to measure emissions linked to the use of cloud services.
What you need to know about availability
Currently, the Carbon Footprint for Google Ads tool is available upon request for select advertisers. However, Google plans a broader rollout in the future, so it's a good idea to stay tuned and prepare in advance.
How to interpret and use this data?
Here are some concrete ways to benefit from the report:
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Identify the most energy-intensive campaign types (format, geo, targeting) and test alternatives
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Rebalancing the media mix towards lower carbon footprint strategies
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Aligning your media investments with your ESG strategy
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Communicate this data in your CSR reports, or to meet the expectations of consumers and investors
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Integrating carbon data into your long-term marketing performance objectives
You can also discover concrete use cases on Think with Google , where brands share their sustainable approach via Google Ads.
Conclusion
With Carbon Footprint for Google Ads , Google is taking the next step in transparency and environmental responsibility in digital marketing. It's a valuable tool for any brand looking to combine advertising performance with a positive impact on the environment. By integrating this data into your strategy, you'll stay ahead of future regulatory requirements and meet a new standard of more responsible consumption.
