Google Introduces Carbon Footprint Reports for Advertisers

Google launched its Carbon Footprint for Google Ads reports, enabling advertisers to measure and manage the carbon emissions of their advertising activities. The initiative comes in response to increasing regulatory pressures, such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and shifting consumer preferences toward sustainable business practices.

The new reports provide advertisers with first-party data on emissions from campaigns across Display & Video 360, Search Ads 360, Campaign Manager 360, and Google Ads. They break down emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3 in alignment with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the Ad Net Zero Global Media Sustainability Framework.

“For marketers prioritizing sustainability, measurement is foundational to establishing marketing priorities and net zero goals that are both actionable and effective. Integrating sustainability principles into your marketing and measurement strategy has the potential to help drive business value and meet demand for net zero action,” says Adam Elman, Sustainability Director for EMEA, Google.

Companies such as L’Oréal, Carwow, giffgaff, and LVMH participated in early testing. “We discovered from our pilot of Carbon Footprint for Google Ads that the old spend-based approach to measuring the carbon footprint of our marketing massively overestimated emissions,” says Ben Carter, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, Carwow. 

Google also integrates AI-driven tools like Insights Finder to help advertisers align their strategies with sustainability trends. According to recent research, ads incorporating sustainability messaging see a 54% increase in overall creative effectiveness. The reports are available for select large-scale advertisers, with broader access expected in the future.