The Unspoken Environmental Impact Of AI In Advertising

We are pleased to share this latest postgraduate research paper; an outcome of our ongoing collaboration with leading academic institutions (Link to full report). Our goal is to disseminate independent, science-based knowledge regarding the advertising industry's environmental impact.

Crucially, while Net Zero Media set the research questions, the paper is free from any influence or commercial pressure. We remain committed to seeking academically sound information that provides genuine value to advertisers aiming to reduce the carbon intensity of their marketing activities.

The following summary and link to the full report are produced by Beatrice Lee for her major research project with the Capstone Environmental Masters programme at The University of Sydney.

While workable emission reduction strategies have to compete with the rapid ‘need’ to stay abreast of AI marketing trends, it is worth drawing a breath. As Beatrice summarises ‘ to ensure responsible and sustainable AI adoption, the industry must go beyond short-term gains and embrace transparency, ethical use and environmental accountability’.

Summary of Findings

As AI reshapes the marketing and advertising industry, questions about its environmental footprint are growing. While AI tools promise efficiency, cost savings and rapid content production, what’s the real cost to the planet?

Emissions from AI vs Traditional Advertising:

A single advertising campaign powered by AI tools (like ChatGPT or image/video generators) may seem to have lower impact — for example:

• A Google Search emits ~0.2g CO₂e.

• A ChatGPT query emits ~2.2g CO₂e (10x Google).

• An AI-assisted ad with ~50 queries = ~110g CO₂e — roughly 5.5 hours of Zoom meetings.

Compare that to traditional production:

• A single video ad can emit 6.2 tons CO₂e (equivalent to 30 return flights from London to Paris).

• A full campaign (from production to distribution) averages 71 tons CO₂e — around the annual footprint of 5 average Australians.

Big Tech, Bigger Emissions

The companies powering AI and digital advertising also carry significant footprints. Google is currently the only major platform reporting electricity use from its data centres clearly. Meta, despite being a key player in AI ad targeting, does not provide emission data or carbon calculators for advertisers, which limits transparency. The lack of publicly accessible data, especially around data centres, makes it difficult to assess true environmental impact.

AI-assisted advertising can lower production emissions, but these savings are often offset by:

• High energy use in data centres

• Scale of ad content generated and distributed

• Lack of transparency in AI infrastructure emissions

If we're going to call AI "efficient," we must ask: efficient for whom and at what cost?

Recommendations For Advertisers

Enhance data centre efficiency by investing in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure.

• Consider environmental impacts when choosing AI tools or generating prompts, especially high-intensity models.

• Strengthen privacy and ethical use policies, with greater transparency around data and outputs.

• Support upskilling and creative augmentation instead of replacing human talent with automation.

• Advance sustainability standards and regulations to encourage accountability across the advertising and tech industries.

• Promote further research, including case studies of AI-driven campaigns, methodological frameworks and cross-sector comparisons.

About Net Zero Media

At Net Zero Media, we are driving a future where the advertising industry takes decisive action to reduce its carbon emissions.

Recognising the critical need for specialised technology to measure these Scope 3 emissions, Net Zero Media was founded by a collaboration of senior executives from the marketing, advertising, software and sustainability industries who developed CarboniQ to effectively measure the environmental impact of every advertising campaign across all media channels.

Our mission is to transform the advertising landscape by integrating media planning expertise with advanced technology and a deep understanding of climate science. We empower the industry to navigate complex challenges and deliver sustainable solutions, driving decarbonisation.