IPA to launch industry-backed media carbon calculator

The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, IPA, is preparing to launch the first industry-commissioned carbon emissions calculator for the media supply chain, designed in line with Ad Net Zero’s Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF).

The tool will enable agencies and advertisers to calculate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their media campaigns.

Developed with technical partner Good-Loop, the calculator will provide a standardised and transparent method for tracking environmental impact. It succeeds the current IPA Media Carbon Calculator and is set to begin a pilot phase in late 2025, with participation from 14 agencies signed to the IPA Media Climate Charter.

The calculator is aligned with international sustainability standards, including the IPCC framework and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and directly supports Action 3 of the Ad Net Zero Action Plan, which focuses on cutting emissions across media planning, buying and distribution.

Nigel Gwilliam, director of media affairs, IPA: "Adherence to the GMSF ensures that the new IPA media carbon calculator will be robust, credible, widely usable and aligned with the direction the industry is heading. It’s not just a technical nicety, it underpins trust, enables comparability, and supports regulation and climate commitments. Crucially, it helps the industry act meaningfully rather than just symbolically."

The IPA appointed Good-Loop following a competitive process. The company will be responsible for transforming GMSF equations and assumptions into an accessible tool for agencies.

Amy Williams, founder and CEO, Good-Loop: "Good-Loop’s role in all of this is to quite simply take the equations and assumptions outlined in the GMSF—and turn them into a tool that is really easy for IPA members to integrate into their everyday. I’m proud to say that there will be no added secret sauce in the methodology—this project is about making media decarbonisation standardised, transparent and accessible to everyone."

The pilot phase will include agencies such as Bountiful Cow, Bray Leino, december19, IMA, IPG Mediabrands, Medialab, Omnicom Media Group, Talon and the7stars. The rollout will extend to additional Charter-supporting agencies in 2026.

Jack Monaghan, chair, IPA Media Climate Group and insight and sustainability director, RapportWW: "With increasing pressure for businesses to become more sustainable, this tool will offer agencies and their advertisers the ability to quantify a campaign’s carbon footprint and apply informed, responsible, data-driven decisions when evaluating their effort to achieve net zero."

Alongside the UK launch, the IPA and Ad Net Zero will begin forming an international coalition of industry bodies to develop localised versions of the calculator in other markets.

Alessandra Bellini, UK chair, Ad Net Zero: "It’s brilliant to see the IPA and its members leading the way in the work to turn the Global Media Sustainability Framework into a practical, everyday tool for media planners and buyers. It will turn principles into action, help advertisers be truly accountable for the emissions from their media plans, and stimulate further competition to provide the most sustainable and effective advertising choices."

www.ipa.co.uk

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