GumGum Delivers Digital Ads as High as 90% More Efficient in Carbon Emissions Intensity Than Industry Benchmarks

Contextual-first ad platform dramatically outperforms industry carbon benchmarks across programmatic and direct advertising.

GumGum, a contextual-first, global digital advertising platform,  announced its industry-leading carbon efficiency in digital advertising, achieving an overall impression intensity of just 0.48 grams of CO2e per impression—significantly outperforming the industry benchmark of 2.45 grams per impression, a score calculated as a 50/50 split between programmatic and direct buy types. Through its continued partnership with Cedara, the Carbon Intelligence Platform and a leader in media decarbonization, GumGum remains at the forefront of sustainability in adtech.

“We’re proving that brands and publishers don’t have to compromise between performance and sustainability…we’re not just reducing emissions—we’re setting a new standard for responsible advertising.”

Here’s how GumGum stacks up in different areas of digital advertising:

• In programmatic advertising (ads placed through automated digital auctions), GumGum generates 0.67 grams of CO2 per impression, compared to the industry benchmark of 4.24 grams—meaning GumGum’s carbon footprint is nearly 85% more efficient than typical programmatic ads.
• In direct advertising (ads placed directly with a publisher, rather than through an automated auction), GumGum is even more efficient, generating just 0.06 grams of CO2 per impression—90% more efficient than the industry benchmark of 0.66 grams.
• For video ads, GumGum’s intensity scores are also considerably more efficient than industry benchmarks. For programmatic video, GumGum scores at 1.74 grams per impression versus the industry benchmark of 4.83. For direct video, GumGum scores at 1.03 grams per impression versus the industry benchmark of 1.25.

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“Sustainability in digital advertising isn’t a future goal—it’s something we’re delivering ,” said Kara Petrocelli, Senior Director of Platform Operations at GumGum. “We’re proving that brands and publishers don’t have to compromise between performance and sustainability. By optimizing bidstream efficiencies and data centers, removing certain inventory type classifications like MFAs, and embracing contextual solutions, we’re not just reducing emissions—we’re setting a new standard for responsible advertising.”

GumGum’s carbon footprint is measured according to the Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF), the standardized methodology for media emissions measurement, released in June 2024 by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and Ad Net Zero. Unlike previous methodologies, the GMSF provides a holistic, granular, and consistent approach, ensuring more accurate and comprehensive carbon reporting.

Cedara, a founding supporter of Ad Net Zero US and a member of IAB Europe led the measurement process, calculating GumGum’s carbon intensity values by leveraging the GMSF. The same methodology was applied to calculate industry benchmarks, offering an apples-to-apples comparison.*

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“The advertising industry is increasingly shifting toward more sustainable media practices, and GumGum is setting a powerful example of what’s possible,” said Eric Shih, Chief Operating Officer at Cedara. “GumGum has achieved one of the lowest carbon intensities we’ve seen in digital advertising. Their ability to reduce emissions by 90% compared to industry benchmarks demonstrates how data-driven decision-making can drive both sustainability and business success.”

As sustainability continues to be a top priority for brands and advertisers, GumGum remains committed to advancing contextual solutions that reduce environmental impact without sacrificing performance. By aligning with global industry standards and optimizing ad delivery, GumGum is paving the way toward a lower and more efficient carbon future for the digital advertising industry.

GumGum continues to further investigate ways to drive more sustainable advertising solutions, including developing science-based emissions reduction targets as part of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

*GMSF v1.1 programmatic industry benchmark leverages industry default values from the SRI & Alliance Digitale framework, since the GMSF had yet to define default values in their framework. The SRI & Alliance Digitale framework has served as the foundation for the GMSF methodology for Digital.