Google rolls out carbon footprint tool for advertisers

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Google has rolled out its Carbon Footprint for Google Ads tool globally, allowing advertisers to measure and reduce the environmental impact of their digital campaigns. The tool provides first-party data across Google’s major ad platforms — Display & Video 360, Search Ads 360, Campaign Manager 360, and Google Ads — and calculates emissions using globally accepted climate frameworks.  

Initially tested with select large advertisers earlier this year, the feature is now available to all ad accounts. It enables brands to track their Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, aligning with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the Ad Net Zero Global Media Sustainability Framework.

The insights include detailed breakdowns by region, campaign type, and media format, helping advertisers identify where to optimise for lower carbon output. For instance, advertisers can compare emissions from display versus video campaigns, or desktop versus mobile impressions.

Google said the tool’s ultimate goal is to make sustainability a performance metric, encouraging advertisers to design greener media strategies without compromising reach or ROI.

“As more advertisers commit to net-zero goals, having transparent, verifiable emissions data across digital media is essential,” the company said in a statement.

This move follows similar initiatives by Microsoft Advertising and WPP, as the ad industry pushes toward measurable sustainability outcomes.