Emissions reporting

How can we use this report?

This report includes measurements and estimations based on certain assumptions. The data is automatically collected from the SeenThis Emissions Dashboard. This report intends to create awareness about the carbon footprint of data transfer, and its estimated avoided impact compared to if the corresponding quality creative would have been delivered using conventional download technology. For comparison to other sources, make sure to consider the applied framework, assumed variables and granularity of collected data.

Can the data be used for sustainability reporting?

This report provides a life cycle assessment of the emissions from creative delivery over the Internet, which for most companies should be included in their scope 3 emissions reporting. For the life cycle of online advertising, the emissions from creative delivery assessed in this report could be considered a gate-to-gate analysis, and depending on the relevant scenario there might be other emission sources outside the life cycle of creative delivery that should be included in reporting. For advertising this could relate to content production, media selection, additional vendors, post-click, and advertised emissions. For RFIs related to sustainability reporting, please reach out to rfi@seenthis.se.

What about press?

For any joint statement or statement naming SeenThis, you must reach out to your sales contact at SeenThis for approval. If a statement includes avoided impact data (data waste or avoided emissions), here’s what you need to include:

• Clarify that the avoided impact is an estimation. If an A/B test is performed by SeenThis, the avoided impact is measured rather than estimated.
  • State that the compared baseline.
  • Make it clear that the avoided emissions only apply to creative delivery.
  • Always include the actual footprint in absolute values.
  • Provide a reference to the methodology, e.g., this link.
  • Please note that according to WBCSD companies claiming avoided emissions shall comply with certain principles, and shall mention whether a third party has verified the avoided emissions impact. Please reach out to discuss such third-party verification if needed.

  
  

How do you measure data transfer?

SeenThis measures the data that has been transferred for a specific asset, fetched directly from CDN centers and our CDN provider Fastly. “There are several ways to measure the amount of data being delivered from CDN data centers to end-users. SeenThis uses the most accurate and reliable method to track and monitor this information, per the CDN’s recommendation to track egress bandwidth using the resp.bytes_written variable”, Sales Engineering Manager, Fastly EMEA

How do you calculate carbon footprint for creative delivery?

Emissions attributed to the data transfer of creative delivery for SeenThis includes SeenThis scope 1 (direct fuel emissions), scope 2 (market-based energy emissions), scope 3 upstream (co-working space emissions, hosting, data center and CDN direct and embodied emissions), and scope 3 downstream emissions (network and end-user device direct and embodied emissions). SeenThis applies the distribution part of the SRI & Alliance Digitale framework to assess the carbon footprint of downstream emissions for creative delivery. The framework considers the full value chain of creative delivery from server to end-user device. The measured data transfer and view time is input in the model, assuming a set share of devices based on SeenThis historical averages (computer 20%, smartphone 76%, tablet 4%), and network type depending on device type (fixed for computer and mobile for other devices), along with average international values from the SRI & Alliance Digitale database. For a more detailed carbon footprint analysis, SeenThis can provide your measurement partner, tool or platform with more granular data.

What is carbon footprint and CO2e?

Footprint refers to negative sustainability impact in general. and can relate to environmental aspects other than climate, e.g., biodiversity, or social aspects, e.g., human rights. When referring specifically to climate and emissions, it could be called climate footprint, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, or carbon footprint. While carbon dioxide (CO2) is only one of the seven greenhouse gasses defined by the Kyoto protocol, all these terms usually refer to all 7 greenhouse gasses recounted as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e).

How do you estimate avoided impact?

The estimated avoided impact is based on a comparison to running creatives of corresponding quality using conventional technology (video codec h264 main, mp4, no larger than 4MB; or static jpeg or png, no larger than 50-350 kB depending on dimensions, no additional compression if asset is under 150kB; assuming full download for uncached impressions). The corresponding quality is programmatically assessed based on a well-established objective full-reference quality metric (VMAF or ssimulacra2).

The estimated avoided emissions considers the full value chain of creative delivery from server to end-user device. If assuming that all other emissions, e.g., from content production, media selection, additional vendors, post-click, and advertised emissions are unchanged, the absolute numbers would also be relevant for a cradle-to-grave analysis of online advertising. Assuming the same values for view time, emissions factor for viewing location, network type, and device type, along with average international values from the SRI & Alliance Digitale database. Please note that while these values are considered fair and reasonable as an average comparison, adjustments might be warranted depending on specific scenarios, such as local emissions factors, number of vendors, etc. Please note that according to WBCSD companies claiming avoided emissions shall comply with certain principles and shall mention whether a third party has verified the avoided emissions impact. Please reach out to your SeenThis sales contact to discuss such third-party verification if needed, or to perform an A/B test for more detailed analysis.

What are avoided emissions?

Positive contribution to the planet, including avoided negative impact, is sometimes referred to as handprint. This can relate to any aspect of sustainability. Avoided emissions, also called scope 4 emissions, are a dimension of handprint. Avoided emissions are defined as the lower negative impact on society when comparing the GHG impact of a solution to an alternative reference scenario where the solution would not be used. This is a comparison with a fictional scenario. Avoided emissions can provide essential insights for climate-aligned decision-making, innovation and purpose definition. Please note that avoided emissions should always be reported along with but separate from total scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, and should never be used to adjust or offset the footprint.

Why are the avoided impact numbers not what I expected?

Several factors can influence the avoided impact assessment. It’s important to remember that a lower avoided impact doesn’t mean that your campaign performed poorly. Here’s why:

• High Completion Rates: While great for user experience, high completion rates might indicate less “room” for avoided impact, as there’s already minimal data waste.

• Shorter Videos: In shorter videos, each buffered segment has a larger impact on the overall data consumption compared to longer videos. This can lead to a lower avoided impact number, even with efficient streaming.

• Targeting: Targeting precision indirectly affects results, as targeting might impact completion rates, and codecs used. Increased completion rate reduces the potential for avoided impact, whereas the use of more efficient codecs will increase the potential of higher avoided impact numbers.

• Asset Complexity: Simpler assets can be optimized sufficiently even with conventional technology. This means SeenThis’ technology might not show a significant difference compared to conventional technology for such assets.

• Frequency: While frequency should be optimized against performance and desired outcomes, it will have an impact on emissions as cached creatives at the user end can reduce data transfer. While efficient, this can lead to lower avoided emissions.

• Pre-compressed Assets: Assets delivered to SeenThis pre-compressed limits SeenThis optimization capabilities and can lead to a lower avoided impact number.

• Capped Comparison: SeenThis conservatively caps the compared video creative of corresponding quality to be no larger than 4MB (following GHA convention) and static creatives to 50-350kB (considering guidelines from IAB). If the comparison has been capped, we in fact aren’t comparing the SeenThis high quality creative to a corresponding quality creative anymore, but rather to a lower quality capped creative. This will result in a lower avoided impact number.

• Caching Overestimation: If the model overestimates the impact of caching, this might result in inaccurate estimations. An A/B test can help determine the actual avoided impact in such cases.

While avoided impact offers valuable insights, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Here’s what you always can be sure of: SeenThis will always optimize creatives for the highest quality that can be perceived by the human eye and will always deliver with minimal data waste.

What is the difference between emissions reduction and avoided emissions?

Absolute reduction in emissions is measured over time compared to a base year, considering the entire GHG inventory in scope 1, 2 and 3. This is an actual historical comparison. Achieving emissions reduction aligned with the Paris Agreement is, and should remain, the primary focus. The data in a report from SeenThis cannot alone be used to draw any conclusions on potential emissions reductions.

What is gPM?

This metric refers to gram CO2e per 1,000 impressions. It’s an efficiency metric that can help reduce emissions if used right. However, optimizing for lowest CO2e per impression in isolation can lead to strange outcomes like advertising in the middle of the night when energy demand is lower, removing high performing, but energy-heavy channels, or favoring extremely compressed creatives that barely can be seen.

It is important to not only consider efficiency, but also look at total emissions, otherwise a high efficiency solution might trigger a rebound effect in increased usage of that solution, leading to higher total emissions.

What does this mean for emissions per spend?

Assuming all budgets are spent, reducing emissions per spend would reduce total emissions. It is a metric to keep in mind, but the most effective way to optimize for this metric would be to never negotiate rates and favor more expensive and less efficient solutions, which is both unlikely and counterproductive. Inflation happens, budgets go up, and so emissions can go up while the metric stays the same. This is not a metric to optimize for, unless the spend is actually connected to value creating outcomes.

What is the metric to optimize for? What is the carbon cost of outcomes?

Not all impressions are the same. And not every dollar or euro spent provides the same value. Outcomes can be the great equalizer. Carbon cost of business outcomes can be less straightforward to measure but should be every advertiser’s ultimate goal. Specific outcomes could be ROI, ROAS, attention, or brand lift – an easier to measure proxy could be used during a campaign with richer measurement happening afterwards to drive future optimization and spend. By targeting data waste and focusing on quality, performance and efficiency, SeenThis technology enables advertisers to effectively reduce their financial as well as carbon cost of outcome, giving them a tool to reduce their total emissions, while still reaching their marketing objectives. Read more here.

We already use data centers and Internet providers that use carbon-free energy. Doesn’t that mean that the related footprint is zero?

No. Making sure to only use carbon-free energy in your own operations, and sourcing suppliers that do the same is critical and should result in a very low associated footprint. However, this does not consider embodied emissions which are the emissions related to the manufacturing of the hardware used to build the Internet. Furthermore, the share of the world’s electricity from low-carbon sources has been largely unchanged, moving from 35% in 1985 to 39% in 2022, with the total energy need constantly growing. The transition to renewables is not rapid enough. In conclusion, we need to be smarter about when and if resources should be used in order to alleviate pressure on the world’s limited supply of renewable energy. This is why it’s so important to reduce the need for energy where possible.

Can’t we use offsetting and carbon credits to reach net-zero?

No. Although projects connected to carbon credits and offsetting are crucial for the climate, the quantification, permanence and additionality of these are mostly very uncertain and therefore they cannot be used to justify emissions or be used to reach emission reduction targets. Net zero entails that emissions must be reduced to as close to zero as possible, with only residual emissions permanently removed from the atmosphere. Also note that claiming carbon neutrality or similar while relying on offsets is facing bans in many countries as they might be understood to mean that a product or service has no impact whatsoever.

By definition, the advertisement industry is not sustainable as it encourages consumption. What’s your view on this?

SeenThis thinks this is an important question that deserves front and center attention when discussing sustainability in the advertising industry. Advertising often intends to increase sales of products and services, which depending on the specific product or service could lead to increased emissions. This is called advertised emissions, and is important to consider, however difficult to measure. Marketers have the power to encourage more responsible behavior and consumption and can influence what demand they create. By promoting socially and environmentally conscious behaviors and increasing the demand for sustainable products and services, advertising can lead to positive impact. Increased demand is also an increased opportunity for brands to reinvest in sustainable innovation

Read the SeenThis Emissions Report here