Our Methodology
Carbon Intelligence™ uses the GMSF v1.2 framework (Global Media Sustainability Framework by Ad Net Zero / GARM) combined with ISO 14064 and GHG Protocol standards to deliver activity-based carbon measurement for digital advertising. Every impression is traced to its actual infrastructure footprint — from server energy to device rendering — producing audit-ready Scope 3 data that meets CSRD requirements.
What is GMSF v1.2?
The Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF) was developed by Ad Net Zero in collaboration with GARM (Global Alliance for Responsible Media). It is the industry standard for measuring carbon emissions across the digital advertising supply chain.
GMSF covers:
- Data centers & ad serving infrastructure
- Content distribution networks (CDN)
- Ad delivery & programmatic bidding
- Device energy consumption (mobile, desktop, CTV)
Version 1.2 adds granularity for programmatic, CTV (Connected TV), and DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home) formats, enabling precise measurement across all modern advertising channels.
How We Calculate Emissions
Data Collection
Campaign data imported from DSPs (DV360, Google Ads, Meta, The Trade Desk, Amazon DSP): impressions, formats, geographies, device types, and creative specifications.
Emission Factors
Regional electricity grid carbon intensities (IEA data), device power consumption models, and data center PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) benchmarks are applied to each data point.
Activity-Based Calculation
Each impression is mapped to its actual energy footprint: server energy + network transfer + device rendering energy, multiplied by the regional carbon intensity (gCO2e/kWh).
AI Enhancement
Claude AI identifies optimization patterns across your campaign data. Perplexity cross-references results with the latest research. Mistral generates localized recommendations tailored to each market.
Validation & Reporting
Results are validated against ISO 14064 methodology and exported as CSRD-ready Scope 3 reports — fully auditable and compliant with European and Californian climate reporting requirements.
Activity-Based vs Spend-Based
Not all carbon measurement is created equal. The approach you choose directly impacts the accuracy and regulatory compliance of your Scope 3 reporting.
Spend-Based
Estimates emissions from media spend using industry averages (e.g., $X spent = Y kgCO2e). Simple to implement but highly inaccurate, with a variance of up to ±450% compared to actual measured data.
Activity-Based
Our approachMeasures the actual infrastructure used for each impression — server locations, device types, format complexity, time of day. Achieves 99.2% correlation with measured grid data. The only approach that qualifies as "best available data" under CSRD and SEC requirements.
CSRD and SEC climate disclosure rules require companies to use the "best available data" for Scope 3 reporting. Activity-based measurement is the only methodology that meets this standard for digital advertising emissions.
Data Sources
IEA — International Energy Agency
Regional electricity emission factors, updated annually. Covers 150+ countries with grid-level carbon intensity data (gCO2e/kWh).
GMSF v1.2
Ad format emission coefficients calibrated for display, video, native, audio, CTV, and DOOH, accounting for creative weight, rendering complexity, and bidding overhead.
Device Energy Models
Based on published research covering mobile (0.5-3W), desktop (30-80W), and CTV (50-150W) power draw during ad rendering, with adjustments for screen size and processing load.
Data Center PUE
Industry benchmarks (average PUE 1.3-1.6) combined with provider-specific data when available (e.g., Google 1.10, AWS 1.15) for precise infrastructure energy accounting.
Standards Alignment
ISO 14064-1
Greenhouse gas accounting and verification — the international standard for quantifying and reporting GHG emissions at the organizational level.
GHG Protocol — Scope 3
Category 1 (Purchased goods & services) and Category 3 (Fuel & energy-related activities) — the globally recognized framework for corporate carbon accounting.
CSRD / ESRS E1
European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive — climate reporting requirements under ESRS E1, mandating detailed Scope 3 disclosure for companies operating in the EU.
SB 253 — California
The Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act — requires large companies doing business in California to disclose Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions annually, starting 2026.