Brussels, Belgium, 15th August 2024 – IAB Europe is pleased to announce the beta test launch of OpenGHG, an innovative tool designed to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from digital advertising campaigns in compliance with emerging global standards. This initiative is part of IAB Europe’s ongoing commitment to advancing sustainability within the digital advertising industry.
The launch of OpenGHG marks a significant step towards achieving a common environmental modelling framework that captures activities throughout the value chain and reduces disparities between the estimates offered by different vendors. It supports the industry’s need for robust, trustworthy, and equivalent environmental figures so that further weight can be placed on metrics relating to emissions.
For the last year, IAB Europe’s Sustainability Standards Committee has been actively contributing to the development of common standards for estimating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions arising from digital advertising activities. In close collaboration with Ad Net Zero, the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), and key stakeholders across media channels, IAB Europe has worked hard to encourage alignment on a variety of methodological considerations that inform how the environmental impact of digital advertising campaigns are calculated.
By offering OpenGHG in a beta test phase, IAB Europe aims to gather valuable feedback from its members and refine the framework to ensure it meets the needs of the industry.
Commenting on the new tool, Steffen Johann Hubert, Associate Director & Lead Sustainability at Seven.One Entertainment Group and Vice-Chair of IAB Europe’s Sustainability Standards Committee said, “IAB Europe's OpenGHG is a key step towards a greener digital ecosystem, underscoring our commitment to global standards and transparency. The tool allows the digital advertising industry to validate emissions reporting against current global standards and serves as a valuable resource for those new to digital sustainability, offering insight into critical points across the advertising value chain.”
IAB Europe remains committed to supporting our corporate members and National Federations by offering the essential guidance, data, and tools needed to implement the Global Media Sustainability Framework, now spearheaded by Ad Net Zero. The feedback collected during this beta test will inform the final version of OpenGHG, which is expected to be rolled out to a broader audience later this year.
Access more information on OpenGHG here, download the FAQ document here, and watch our explainer video here.
If you are a member of IAB Europe and would like to gain access to OpenGHG to test and provide feedback on the tool, please contact our Data Analyst & Sustainability Manager, Dimitris Beis, who can assist with this.
For any media inquiries please contact our Marketing & Communications Director Lauren Wakefield.
For more information on the work of IAB Europe and the Sustainability Standards Committee, please visit the Sustainability Hub on our website here.
