Research conducted by DoubleVerify and Scope3 has revealed a correlation between high-quality digital ads and reduced carbon emissions. The study found that purchasing higher quality media impressions led to a decrease in carbon emissions of nearly 65,000 metric tons of CO2 in 2023.

DoubleVerify, a software platform for digital media measurement, data, and analytics, gauges the quality of ad inventory through its DV Authentic Rate, which verifies ads as brand-suitable, fraud-free, and correctly geographically targeted. The research found a strong correlation between higher DV Authentic Rates and lower emissions. High-tier MFA sites, known for high ad density, emitted 44% more carbon emissions relative to the average emissions across DV-measured media. Ads with high DV Authentic Rates produced fewer emissions.

DoubleVerify's approach to measuring the carbon impact of digital ads is based on a partnership with Scope3, a provider of ad-emissions data. Media quality protections helped avoid a quantifiable 64.9 thousand metric tons of CO2 emissions waste from non-authentic ads in 2023, equivalent to a $13.2 million social cost of carbon.

"Simply put, for digital ads, buying higher quality media directly translates to a lower emissions impact," said CEO, at DoubleVerify, Mark Zagorski. "Our latest data shows that high-quality, fraud-free advertising not only optimises performance but also supports broader sustainability goals. By enhancing the precision and efficiency of ad delivery, we can help decrease the unnecessary energy consumption that contributes to higher emissions."

"Media quality optimisation prevented a sizeable amount of CO2 emissions that would have been produced by low-quality ad placements, avoiding a considerable social cost of carbon," said Zagorski. "This underscores the importance of maintaining high standards in digital advertising."

The report analysed over one trillion impressions, both pre and post-bid, and offers a detailed market-by-market analysis for North America, LATAM, EMEA, and APAC.