What are
Advertised Emissions?
Advertising is one of the world’s most powerful industries — touching nearly every human on the planet daily and shaping demand for products, services, and behaviours.
But with that influence comes responsibility. Advertised Emissions measure the uplift in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) driven by the increased sales that result from advertising. In other words, it accounts for the climate impact of the consumption advertising helps generate.
To take full responsibility for its climate footprint, the advertising industry must go beyond measuring its operational emissions. It must also account for — and reduce — the emissions created by the behaviours it drives. That’s where the Advertised Emissions methodology comes in.
To stay within planetary boundaries, the advertising industry needs to widen the scope of its climate impact: from internal to external.
The Story So Far…
The concept of Advertised Emissions was first introduced by Purpose Disruptors at COP26 in 2021. It was inspired by the financial services industry developing the concept of ‘Financed Emissions.’
Since then, it has gained international traction.
2026
Coming soon…
2022
UK Advertised Emissions reached 208 million tonnes CO2e in 2022, up 11% from 2019 — adding 32% to the carbon footprint of each UK resident.
The UN’s Race to Zero campaign recognised Advertised Emissions as a Leadership Practice in 2022.
We publish The Temperature Check as a follow-on to the first Advertised Emissions report.
2023
Serviced Emissions, a related concept for the professional services sector, was introduced at COP28 — positioning advertising alongside law, consulting, and finance as sectors needing urgent change. Serviced Emissions are “the greenhouse gas emissions arising from the activities of a client informed and/or enabled by the advice and/or services of a professional service provider (PSP)”
2024
Two pioneering advertising organisations showcased their transition using the Serviced Emissions model during New York Climate Week in 2024.
Our Advertising’s Evolutionary Moment: How to turn climate ambition into impact report launches at New York Climate Week.
2025
Purpose Disruptors are now collaborating with the University of Portsmouth on a government-backed academic partnership to refine and evolve the methodology to become a global standard.
A global launch to over 200 industry professions of our new report, Beyond The Chaos: Ahead of the Curve. How Smart Organisations are De-Risking in Uncertain Times by the end of the year
2021
Our first flagship report, Advertised Emissions: The Carbon Emissions Generated by UK Advertising is publised in collaboration with Econometrics agency, Magic Numbers.
Advertised Emissions are the GHG emissions that result from the uplift in sales generated by advertising.
Advertised Emissions: The Carbon Emissions Generated By UK Advertising (2021)
Our first flagship Advertised Emissions report created in collaboration with Econometrics agency, Magic Numbers. The first report showed UK advertising was responsible for 186 million tonnes of CO2e putting a calculation to consumption related emissions driven by advertising.
Pt 1 Why Advertised Emissions?
Pt 2 What are Advertised Emissions?
Why Measure
Advertised Emissions?
1
Spot Carbon Hotspots
Use Advertised Emissions to analyse your client portfolio and identify where change is needed — and what a sustainable future portfolio could look like.
2
Manage Financial Risk
Understand which high-emission clients might face regulatory, reputational, or market risk — and start planning a managed transition.
3
Find New Opportunities
Advertising can accelerate the shift to low-carbon alternatives. Measuring Advertised Emissions helps you identify where your influence can support people and the planet whilst considering long-term business stability.
Reports & Resources
Advertising’s Evolutionary Moment.
How to Turn Climate Ambition into Impact (2024)
In our latest case study, we share the story of two climate pioneers from leading advertising agencies, M&C Saatchi and OLIVER. They detail their journey in adopting the 'Serviced Emissions Action Areas (inspired by Advertised Emissions) created by Race to Zero & Oxford Net Zero.
Advertised Emissions: The Temperature Check (2022)
Our most recent report calculating the UK advertised industry’s Advertised Emissions. UK Advertised Emissions reached 208 million tonnes of CO2e in 2022, up 11% from 2019.
Dd
DD
Beyond the Chaos: Ahead of the Curve.
How Smart Organisations are De-Risking in Uncertain Times. (2025)
As political, technological, and environmental turbulence intensifies, Beyond the Chaos, Ahead of the Curve is our new flagship report, which captures how forward-thinking organisations in advertising are preparing for what’s next.
Developed in collaboration with 30 industry practitioners, featuring contributions from Oxford Net Zero, Amplify, Elvis, ClientEarth, the University of Portsmouth, and Creatives for Climate – it’s your guide on how to manage your organisation’s climate transition.
Beyond the Chaos: Ahead of the Curve Global Launch Webinar
We cover the state of play in advertising, media and marketing — a big-picture view from Jonathan Wise on why measuring what matters — Advertised Emissions — is critical for avoiding long-term business risk; and learnings from the field — with Jennie Mossman (Amplify) sharing her case study from the global experience agency, and lessons from integrating climate transition into creative and commercial strategy.
Advertising Evolutionary Moment Global Launch and Case Study Webinar
Hear all about our case study direct from sustainability pioneers who lay out how they are taking practical steps to future-proof their businesses, and embed bold Serviced Emissions guidance spanning governance, measurement and strategy into their organisations.
Advertised Emissions: Temperature Check Webinar
Watch Founder of Magic Numbers, Dr Grace Kite, and Co-founder of Purpose Disruptors, Jonathan Wise, unpack the numbers, methodology and meaning of the Advertised Emissions Temperature Check Report
Want to Get Involved?
If you’re ready to:
Measure...
your organisation’s Advertised Emissions
Join...
the Advertising Emissions working Group
Influence...
upwards, invite us to present to your executive team
Get in touch!
Advertised Emissions in the media
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Why measuring our Advertised Emissions can help get ahead of inevitable climate pressures.
Advertising’s Evolutionary Moment is a new framework that helps the ad industry turn climate ambition into impact. Early adopters of the framework like OLIVER and M&C Saatchi are better able to align their services with climate goals, explains the Purpose Disruptors’ Aimee Brewerton.
WARC 17 Dec 2024 -
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Why Advertised Emissions is a pivotal tool in the climate transition.
The TCFD framework, which aligns the impact of climate change with exposure to financial risk, will be mandatory in the UK from 2025 for all large private and listed companies. This takes the climate conversation directly to the boardroom, and advertisers can expect more scrutiny from investors, says the Purpose Disruptor’s Nadeen Ayyashi.
WARC 9 April 2024 -
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How smart agencies are de-risking in uncertain times.
Responding to climate change is not a compliance exercise; it is a strategic lever of resilience. Agencies that integrate it into their governance, client strategies, briefing process and creative decision-making will be the ones to thrive in a rapidly changing marketplace, says Nadeen Ayyashi, Purpose Disruptors and Jennie Mossman, Amplify.
WARC 11 Dec 2025
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Advertising adds extra 32% to annual carbon footprint of every person in the UK.
Latest research from Purpose Disruptors paints a stark picture of the C02 emissions caused as a result of advertising-driven consumption.
The Drum 7 Nov 2022 -
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What are serviced emissions and how can corporates act on them?
EXCLUSIVE: The UN’s Race to Zero initiative held a launch event to showcase how organisations working in PR, law, advertising and other service-based sectors can identify actions to reduce emissions and mitigate climate risks.
edie 29 Oct 2024 -
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Leading agency figures tell us which stories have been flying under the radar but are nonetheless shaping the year ahead.
Leading agency figures tell us which stories have been flying under the radar but are nonetheless shaping the year ahead.
The Drum 16 Jan 2026
