
**In Cannes, we partnered with PwC France to host "AI-led Marketing and Sustainability Commitments," bringing together leaders from companies like LVMH, AXA, Google, UDM and PwC to tackle a critical challenge: How can energy-intensive generative AI align with ambitious climate commitments?**

**The conversation revealed clear consensus — AI is here to stay, but adoption must prioritize sustainability and responsibility, highlighting a distinctly European cultural approach that brings valuable perspective to the global AI debate.**

Brands must accept that AI is here to stay. We're far from the disappointing tech waves of previous years, like the metaverse or blockchain.

> "We can't go back," said **Marine Gissy, Global Media Lead at AXA**. "We use AI every day—even on confidential documents with our internal secured AI we are lucky to have. But now the real question is: How do we remain responsible while moving forward so quickly? The significant transformation will stem from the trust people have in AI responses, such as those from chatbots and social searches, especially during purposeful inquiries, but also from how it's built and its responsible impact on the entire ecosystem."
> 

Every brand marketer must be asking themselves how to be properly indexed on these new tools that will render traditional search methods obsolete, and how to redefine the right time, right place, right person in an agentic internet. There's no room for evasive marketers anymore. We're facing a fundamental shift that's transforming the very nature of marketing itself.

## **What drives the surge in AI adoption across industries?**

European companies are rapidly deploying AI technologies, especially in marketing and media. According to recent data shared by Mckinsey and the WFA, over 90% of global advertisers now have working groups focused on integrating AI across all functions, from supply chain to advertising.

> “This isn’t just a trend,” noted **Marion Setiey, Deputy Group International Media Director at LVMH.** “It’s a structural change. AI adoption began with individual users, not businesses, and now companies are racing to catch up. AI must enhance—not replace—human creativity. At LVMH, for example, creative decisions remain deeply rooted in brand heritage, DNA and craftsmanship. Technology and innovation are intrinsically linked to creativity. For us, it’s about keeping the human at the center.”
> 

## **Why is AI’s carbon footprint a major concern?**

While AI offers clear productivity gains — estimated at nearly one hour per day — concerns over its carbon footprint are rising. Generative AI models like ChatGPT or Gemini require massive computational resources, and thus, energy. This puts achieving climate commitments at risk. . Google, for instance, has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2030, even as it accelerates AI innovation.

> “We committed to carbon neutrality before the AI boom,” said **François Loviton, Managing Director Google Advertising France**. “We still aim for 2030, but predicting the future environmental impact of AI is complex and evolving, and our historical trends likely don't fully capture AI’s future trajectory.”
> 

Moreover, measuring emissions accurately remains a technical and collaborative challenge. Estimates of AI’s energy usage vary wildly, from 1x to 100x, due to inconsistent data sources and methods.

> “There’s a huge variance,” François added. “We need rigorous, shared metrics. Otherwise, we risk acting on misinformation. AI isn’t just hype—it represents structural change driving disruptive team upskilling gains and sustainability issues. To help drive change, we’re giving advertisers newfound insight into the emissions of ads running on our platform, inclusive of AI emissions, with Carbon Footprint for Google Ads first party reporting data.”
> 

## **How are European brands measuring sustainable AI?**

To address sustainability concerns around AI, European brands are investing in tools and frameworks to measure and mitigate AI’s environmental impact. At LVMH, this began two years ago with the creation of a proprietary tool to track media-related carbon emissions. The tool aligns with [Ad Net Zer](https://adnetzero.com/the-ad-net-zero-action-plan/)o and the [Global Sustainability Framework (GMSF)](https://adnetzero.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Ad-Net-Zero-Global-Media-Sustainability-Framework-2024-1.pdf), but achieving accurate measurements has been difficult due to differing standards and data access issues across media partners. This collaboration will also need to extend  to generative AI. While LLM-based advertising isn’t yet fully mainstream, Marion confirmed that LVMH plans to measure its carbon footprint once it becomes viable.

> “We wanted our own methodology to account for our partners, the media vendors’ progress," **said Marion Setiey.** “Each brand in our Group now uses that tool to build their own sustainability roadmap. It is very interesting because every Maisons have different carbon emissions profile in media, depending on their very own media strategies. Now that our measurement capabilities are in place, we are in the process of accompanying the Maisons to optimize their carbon footprint, but not at the cost of their media strategy and performance of the campaigns as both should be led in parallel.”
> 

## **What role do efficiency, innovation, and regulation play?**

Despite the energy concerns, there is reason for optimism.

According to François Loviton, advancements in prompt optimization have already reduced the energy cost per prompt by 80%. Google is also exploring ways to serve user needs without resorting to the most resource-intensive AI processes. The push for greener AI also intersects with economic imperatives.

Serving AI-powered ads at scale, for example, may not be financially viable unless energy efficiency improves. At a regulatory level, the conversation acknowledged Europe’s leadership in proactive governance but cautioned against overregulation.

> “If someone just wants the weather, there’s no need to use a large language model,” he noted. “Traditional search is faster, cheaper, and greener. It’s not just about sustainability—it’s also about making AI affordable to run,” he emphasized. “We’re already regulating something that’s barely off the ground,” **warned Jean-Luc Chetrit, General Manager at the French “Union des Marques”:** “If we move too fast, we risk slowing down European innovation.”
> 

## **How Is the ad industry building a responsible AI future?**

Ultimately, striking a balance between innovation and environmental responsibility requires a shared framework. That’s why a coalition of European firms — including Bouygues, Nestlé, and LVMH — [recently co-authored a guide for deploying responsible generative AI.](https://uniondesmarques.fr/l/en/library/download/urn:uuid:a445e1fc-39d4-4d93-840a-c873a5a5d816/guide+ai+for+good+union+des+marques+-+short+version.pdf?format=save_to_disk)

> "We built a set of 23 best practices, covering everything from sovereignty and diversity to carbon impact," **said Jean-Luc Chetrit.** "It's about asking the right questions—and updating the answers constantly. This highlights the governance challenge companies face: how to integrate all departments to effectively manage AI strategy, ensuring brands develop value-creating innovations within a defined framework before sharing them with stakeholders across our initiatives."
> 

Above all, the human element must remain at the core of AI strategy.

> “We believe strongly in test-and-learn,” **Marion Setiey added.** “But creativity, heritage, and human must always stay central. We must maintain a consumer-centric perspective, prioritize people first in all AI and sustainability discussions, and aim for better performance through a more for less approach. The future of advertising lies in balancing technological advancement with human expertise & creativity and environmental responsibility.”
> 

The European advertising industry is rapidly evolving as AI opportunities and growing demand for sustainable advertising reshape the sector, creating new complexities and choices. As the "digital burden" escalates , advertisers can already leverage a variety of strategies to reduce their carbon footprint through deploying agentic solutions, partnering closer with their media agencies, or increasing internal resources.

> “Regardless of how brands go about putting sustainable AI and advertising into practice, what brands need is trust above all.” said **Eleonore Ogrinz Marketing & Media Director Europe at PwC.**
> 

The opportunity lies in AI's ability to deliver on plans that reduce carbon footprint while achieving stronger consumer resonance and better ROI. [AI](http://roi.ai/) [makes sustainability goals more accessible](https://www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/ai-analytics/ai-predictions.html#ai-will-be-a-value-play--and-a-boon-for-sustainability).  Despite advances in technology, decisions will continue to be made by humans, supported by experts who help advertisers navigate their ever expanding list of choices.

> “The human element remains crucial as we transform our organizations and adapt operational models at unprecedented speed. We must be careful not to create 'digital overload' and stay sensitive to the increased demands AI places on our colleagues and partners.”
> 

## **Key Takeaways:**

- European companies like LVMH or AXA are leading responsible AI adoption by aligning technology with sustainability goals.
- Emissions tracking tools are emerging but still face data standardization challenges, while efficiency innovations reduce AI's energy footprint.
- Regulation must balance supporting innovation without stifling technological progress.
- Human control and oversight remain critical, with humans managing strategy and decisions while AI provides the execution layer.
- Europe's cautious, collaborative approach could become the global model for sustainable AI development.

European companies are leading the charge by aligning AI adoption with climate commitments. Brands can balance AI media buying and sustainability by adopting energy-efficient AI practices, using emission-tracking tools, and building responsible frameworks that prioritize environmental impact without compromising innovation.

How Can Brands Balance AI Media Buying With Sustainability Goals? The European Example


As the climate crisis escalates and regional regulatory progress slows, the advertising industry must lead with urgency and coordination. That’s why the Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF) — owned by Ad Net Zero and co-developed with stakeholders from across the industry — is so important. It provides a shared, science-backed methodology for measuring the environmental impact of advertising across the supply chain.

After being a regional member for years, Scope3 now joins as a global supporter of Ad Net Zero, and in recognition of the company’s role in advancing the standards work, Ad Net Zero has appointed Lillie Ratliff, Head of Strategic Initiatives, as a member of the Charter Steering Group (CSG). Her appointment reflects both our technical leadership and our deep, ongoing commitment to shared standards and cross-industry collaboration.

Ad Net Zero CSG members are actively creating sustainability standards and best practices which will shape the advertising industry for years to come. The CSG also interacts with the Ad Net Zero Board, made up of industry trade associations to drive the development of the program in line with the CSG’s focus and priorities.

Additionally, Ad Net Zero just released the latest version of the [GMSF v 1.2](https://adnetzero.com/news/ad-net-zero-strengthens-global-framework-to-calculate-media-emissions/). The update brings greater clarity and direction to the industry’s measurement approach, offering significant updates to the digital methodology — like formula, data levels, and default values — developed by IAB Europe’s Methodology & Framework Working Group. It’s an important milestone in the move toward accountability and consistency across media.
Scope3 has been aligned to the framework since it’s inception and we’re proud to support its ongoing development. Lillie’s role on the Charter Steering Group will ensure that Scope3 continues to push for science-based standards and cross-industry alignment, while helping the framework evolve to meet the moment.

Sustainability is the reason Scope3 was founded. We believe, and have since proven, that better media drives better outcomes for brands, publishers, and the planet. Having a clear understanding of media’s environmental impact is the only way to keep pushing our mission forward. That’s why our platform and methodology is built for always-on, activity-based measurement and real-world reduction.

There’s still more to do. The next step is bringing AI into the framework, ensuring that as new technologies reshape marketing, we don’t replicate the waste of the past. But today, we celebrate a clear step forward and a shared commitment to progress.

After being a regional member for years, Scope3 now joins as a global supporter of Ad Net Zero, and in recognition of the company’s role in advancing the standards work, Ad Net Zero has appointed Lillie Ratliff, head of strategic initiatives, as a member of the Charter Steering Group (CSG). Her appointment reflects both our technical leadership and our deep, ongoing commitment to shared standards and cross-industry collaboration.

Scope3 joins the Ad Net Zero Charter Steering Group to accelerate sustainable advertising


The rapid adoption of AI will accelerate innovation, but it also presents significant new environmental challenges.

At Scope3, we’ve been considering what this means for the industry and our partners, as well as our role in creating a sustainable advertising ecosystem.

This summer, we took action and are excited to share our efforts. We developed a methodology to measure the carbon footprint and water use of generative AI, which we’ve released for public feedback this week [here](https://preview.methodology.scope3.com/overview).

We also secured $25 million in funding to bolster these initiatives — an investment that will help us advance our mission while tackling the complexities of AI’s environmental impact (read the details in [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/10/scope3-starts-tracking-the-carbon-footprint-of-ai/) or below).

**Want to learn more about what we’re building?** Subscribe to our new Substack, [Sustainable AI](https://sustainableai.substack.com/p/welcome), where we’ll share insights and updates on our journey toward sustainable AI.

---

## **Scope3 Raises $25M in Strategic Funding to Expand into Sustainable AI**

**NEW YORK – 10 October 10 2024**  – Scope3, the collaborative sustainability platform decarbonizing media and advertising, today announced the closing of $25 million in a strategic funding round led by GV. The round included participation from existing investors Venrock, Room40 Ventures, and Craft Ventures, as well as from new investors Aperiam Ventures and Virgo Strategic Investments. The investment will enable Scope3 to expand its work beyond the advertising ecosystem and tackle the pressing climate impact of the booming AI industry.

Since its inception in 2021, Scope3 has been a pioneer in sustainable digital media. Through its ad campaign sustainability solutions and open-source methodology, Scope3 has supplied the media and advertising industries with tools to analyze and reduce carbon emissions without sacrificing ROI, cost or business success. Thousands of brands use Scope3 to measure and decarbonize their media – including Coca-Cola, General Motors, Mastercard, Sanofi, and more – and nearly 3,000 metric tons of carbon emissions have been avoided by using Scope3’s Green Media Products in the last 18 months. 

Decarbonization solutions are gaining serious traction across the industry — usage revenue of Scope3 has grown 12x YoY (Q2 ‘23 → Q2 ‘24). Now, as AI innovation hits an inflection point and the environmental impact is coming to light, Scope3 is taking its proven approach to decarbonizing the advertising and media supply chain and applying it to AI.

At a time when the climate crisis grows more pressing and severe by the day, the rapid adoption of AI is leaving significant environmental repercussions in its wake. The training process for a single AI model consumes thousands of megawatt hours of electricity and emits hundreds of tons of carbon. Companies across the board are increasingly facing pressure to implement AI strategies while trying to meet climate commitments, and they are struggling to find a clear solution to keep emissions under control. With the marketing industry leading the rapid adoption of AI, Scope3 is uniquely positioned to help companies balance their sustainability goals without compromising their AI ambitions that drive innovation and business success.

“AI and the media industry are soon going to be indistinguishable,” said Brian O’Kelley, Co-Founder and CEO of Scope3. “The biggest AI players are monetizing through advertising, just like the search giants before them, and every marketer is using AI to create the content that fuels their campaigns. That’s why extending our methodology to capture the climate impact of AI is imperative, both for our business and the industry as a whole.”

"The most innovative companies in the world are considering sustainable AI practices that address environmental concerns while delivering real business value. Scope3 has the talent, technology, and expertise needed to decarbonize the media and advertising industry," said Erik Nordlander, General Partner at GV.  "We've seen the impact Brian O'Kelley and the Scope3 team have had on the advertising and marketing supply chain, and we're excited to double down on our investment based on the traction we've seen. We're proud to deepen our partnership with Brian and support Scope3's mission as we move toward a more sustainable future."

Alongside the funding, Scope3 released its AI methodology to the public. This methodology sheds light on the digital waste produced by the AI supply chain by precisely tracing and measuring the environmental impacts of the entire life cycle of an AI product, process or service. This ultimately enables every company using AI to make data-driven strategies on when, how and where to apply different AI solutions to reduce their carbon footprints and maximize the efficacy of their AI investments.


At a time when the climate crisis grows more pressing and severe by the day, the rapid adoption of AI is leaving significant environmental repercussions in its wake. Scope3 has a plan to tackle it.

Scope3 Expands to Sustainable AI, Releases AI Methodology and Lands $25M in New Funding


A new report by the ANA in partnership with Scope3 explains the carbon cost of digital marketing, the solution to measuring and reducing emissions, and how Fortune 100 brands have already achieved success with those solutions.

Critically, the original data in the report supports the claim that sustainability and growth aren’t at odds. The findings highlight how limiting the waste in your marketing program can be beneficial both for business outcomes and sustainability.

Coca-Cola, GM, Kimberly Clark, Kroger, Mars, and Mondelez used three key approaches to slash their emissions. Adopting green private marketplaces (GMPs) proved to be the most effective, followed by inclusion lists, and then exclusion lists. 

By incorporating sustainability into their media plans, brands reduced emissions as much as 36%. The study also revealed that 2% of media sites account for a whopping 50% of total emissions, underscoring the progress brands can make within days of measuring their emissions by optimizing away from high-emissions sites. As the brands reduced their carbon emissions, they also saw a positive impact on business outcomes. Brands were able to: 

- redistribute spend to high-quality sites
- hit KPIs earlier
- avoid overextending budgets trying to reach users on bad inventory

Download the report to learn more about the scope of the problem, the available solutions, and how simple and quick actions can reduce carbon and lead to greater media efficiency.


A new report by the ANA in partnership with Scope3 explains the carbon cost of digital marketing, the solution to measuring and reducing emissions, and how Fortune 100 brands have already achieved success with those solutions