Ad Net Zero Hits 5-Year Milestone: Data Proves Sustainability Action Is Engine of Business Growth

Five years since its UK launch and three years into its international expansion across seven major chapters (US, Ireland, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and UAE), Ad Net Zero has marked a defining milestone: demonstrating that sustainability action is a powerful driver of business performance, not just compliance. During this time, Ad Net Zero has consistently worked to help move the industry from individual initiatives to a unified, globally recognised framework for collective positive action.

New research among its UK supporter base reveals the compelling return on investment (ROI) for sustainable practices: 62% report achieving ‘stronger client or partner relationships’, while 52% cite ‘enhanced employee engagement or retention’ as a result of their sustainability action.

To accelerate this success across the entire advertising eco-system, Ad Net Zero is introducing a new membership structure for 2026: Supporter, Supporter+, and Accelerator. This tiered approach ensures any business in the advertising ecosystem can access what they need, when they need it, from foundational resources to advanced leadership projects, to capitalise on the momentum of the sustainable economy.

Sebastian Munden, global chair, Ad Net Zero, said, “The data is undeniable: businesses leaning positively into sustainability - whether advertiser, agency, media owner, or tech platform - are gaining a competitive advantage. They are building better relationships, driving staff engagement, and realising cost benefits through efficiency and waste reduction. The data shows the green economy is growing considerably faster than the rest of the economy, and Ad Net Zero supporters are fast capitalising on this exciting new business opportunity.”

Kate Waters, director of client strategy and commercial marketing, ITV, said, “ITV has been a committed supporter of Ad Net Zero since its UK launch. As the climate action programme marks its fifth anniversary, the commercial reasons for all those working in advertising to lean into sustainability are becoming ever clearer. Whether it's through your advertising production, your choice of media distribution or the power of the advertising campaigns you can deliver to help accelerate change, the Ad Net Zero programme provides a place for sustainability knowledge to be shared, and for progress to be made. Going forward, we will be looking to fully assess all of the commercial opportunities and risks ahead associated with climate change, in order to be as fully future-ready as we can be. I encourage all others working in advertising to join Ad Net Zero and do the same.”

Five Years of Action: Key Milestones and Progress

Ad Net Zero’s 5-point Action Plan remains the central framework driving measurable change across the industry:

ACTION 1 - Reduce Emissions Across Business Operations: The ROI of Full-Time Resource

• Investment Pays Off: The research reveals a clear link between resource commitment and performance. 86% of respondents with dedicated, full-time sustainability teams reported “stronger client or partner relationships,” versus only 36% of those relying solely on voluntary ‘green teams.’
• Cost Savings: 52% of UK supporters achieved direct cost savings or operational efficiencies by reducing emissions, underscoring sustainability as a core efficiency strategy.

ACTION 2 - Reduce Emissions from Advertising Production: Tackling AI’s Carbon Footprint

• Industry First: AI Usage Measurement: Today, AdGreen introduces a groundbreaking 11th activity area to its Carbon Calculator: AI Usage measurement. Created in collaboration with Hiili, this new functionality is an essential step toward transparency, allowing users to more accurately measure the emissions generated by AI tools within advertising workflows.
• Scale of Impact: By immediately integrating AI measurement, AdGreen is helping the industry balance innovation with responsibility as AI's energy demands rapidly grow. AdGreen will host a webinar on December 4th, 2025, to demonstrate the new functionality.

ACTION 3 - Reduce Emissions from Media Planning and Buying: Establishing a Global Standard

• Voluntary Standard: The Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF) is rapidly becoming the industry’s voluntary standard for quantifying media emissions, the largest part of advertising’s supply chain footprint. The GMSF is supported by advertising holding companies, leading global platforms, media owners and brands.
• Forward Roadmap: OOH data guidance will be available in February 2026, and an updated framework – v1.3 – will be presented at Cannes Lions 2026 alongside new work in partnership with WARC to understand advertising’s global impact as a global benchmark.

ACTION 4 - Reduce Emissions Through Awards and from Events: Embedding Sustainability in Creative Excellence

• Record Engagement: The fourth edition of the Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards recorded a 26% increase in entries YoY, demonstrating growing commitment to measuring sustainability alongside commercial success.
• Industry Adoption: Other awards organisers, including Cannes Lions and D&AD, haveadopted approaches that build these critical considerations into their judging criteria.
• Insight Library: A growing bank of case studies from award winners is available for free, providing actionable insights, learnings, and inspiration.

ACTION 5 - Encourage More Sustainable Behaviours: New Global Accountability

• The Power of Creative: The Every Brief Counts initiative continues to provide tools to embed sustainable behaviours into creative briefs. This work is translating into campaign success, exemplified by the ITV, MG OMD & DESNZ campaign, which broadcast how low-carbon heat pumps can be the new normal to an audience of 3.5 million, winning the 2025 Campaign Ad Net Zero UK Grand Prix.
• New Measurement Standard: Kantar is collaborating with Ad Net Zero on the new Sustainable Behaviour Ad Tracker, analysing the LINK ad testing database quarterly. This gives the industry its first global, consistent benchmark, showing a huge opportunity for growth (currently 5.3% of ads pretested globally show sustainable behaviour).

Ad Net Zero 2026 Supporter Structure: Scaling Proven Success

To meet the global demand for climate action and cater to companies at every stage of their journey, Ad Net Zero is restructuring its engagement model:

Sharing Ad Net Zero Expertise Worldwide

Ad Net Zero has evolved to a global network spanning markets with over 49% of the world’s ad spend. Beyond this core network, Ad Net Zero is leveraging its frameworks through key partnerships with external bodies including the UN Global Compact (CMO Blueprint), the Sustainable AI Coalition, and the Institute for Real Growth (CMO-CSO Playbook), as well as helping to inform Sustainable Advertising: how advertising can support a better future by Matt Bourn and Sebastian Munden, published by Kogan Page.