IAB Europe Launches LEAF: Smart Solutions for Sustainable Digital Advertising

Brussels, Belgium, 3rd April 2025 – IAB Europe, the European-level industry association for the digital marketing and advertising ecosystem, today announced the introduction of LEAF, a suite of utilities designed to support the reduction of environmental impact in digital advertising campaigns. Developed as a centralised hub, LEAF empowers stakeholders within the ecosystem to monitor and improve the environmental impact of their campaigns.

As sustainability is increasingly prioritised as a media investment consideration, LEAF provides an easy way for advertisers, agencies, ad tech, and publishers to stay updated on industry standards and best practices. Powered by the learnings and outputs of IAB Europe’s Sustainability Standards Committee, it houses solutions that can support meaningful action.

IAB Europe’s CEO, Townsend Feehan commented on the new suite, saying “With LEAF, we are providing businesses with the practical tools they need to estimate and reduce emissions while maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of digital advertising. IAB Europe is committed to driving industry-wide progress, and LEAF is a significant step in supporting stakeholders on their sustainability journey.”

Steffen Johan Hubert, Associate Director & Sustainability Lead at ProSiebenSat.1, and Chair of IAB Europe’s Sustainability Standards Committee also commented, “Sustainability in digital advertising often stumbles over two things: limited trust in the available data and a lack of accessible, transparent ways to engage with the topic. With LEAF, we’re introducing a solution that combines technological precision with ESG relevance – giving the industry the tools and confidence it needs to take measurable, meaningful action.”

Key Features of LEAF:

• Transparent  GHG Emissions - Understand the environmental impact of digital ad campaigns in alignment with emerging standards.
• Centralised Sustainability Tools - Monitor and improve ad sustainability in one easy-to-use platform.
• Standards & Best Practice  - Stay ahead of evolving sustainability standards and guidance.

LEAF houses several of IAB Europe’s sustainability utilities, including:

• OpenGHG - an innovative tool designed to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from digital advertising campaigns in alignment with emerging global standards.
• CreativeLi - a tool designed to showcase how digital display advertising creatives can be optimised by reducing file size without compromising visual quality.

With more utilities coming soon, LEAF is a key platform for businesses looking to embed sustainability into their digital advertising strategies.

Get Involved

IAB Europe invites all stakeholders to explore LEAF and take the next step toward a more sustainable digital advertising ecosystem.

LEAF’s pricing structure is designed to be inclusive, offering free access to IAB Europe members, discounted rates for members of National IABs and Federations, and a standard fee for non-members.

For more information, visit IAB Europe’s website here, FAQs here, or contact our team at leaf@iabeurope.eu.