As corporate climate action advances, billups is enabling more sustainable OOH advertising through the ability to measure carbon emissions of campaigns through Cedara. We analyze factors contributing to OOH carbon emissions such as the material, size, and energy use of boards and screens, and can compensate for these emissions by supporting projects such as reforestation and renewable energy.

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Traditional OOH is more carbon efficient than you may think  

OOH advertising has a carbon footprint, but traditional OOH proves more efficient than several common channels when CO2e is considered per impression. billups is working with Cedara to focus on efficiency using the Emissions Intensity metric*, which can help to plan and optimize media for lower carbon emissions intensity.

Traditional OOH can be between 197% and 336% more carbon-efficient than other advertising channels, such as programmatic display and video, and especially video on CTV. These findings make OOH a strong candidate for brands seeking to incorporate sustainability into their media strategies.**

_{Source: billups campaign data, Cedara industry benchmarks (measurement using the Ad Net Zero Global Media Sustainability Framework).}

_{Note: Programmatic display and video blend mobile, desktop, and CTV devices.}

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Traditional OOH stands out as a key component of a media reduction strategy, at least when compared to programmatic channels, and especially on CTV inventory.  Traditional OOH’s lower carbon intensity makes it a promising alternative for brands looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

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High impact, low-intensity strategy

The reason traditional OOH excels in sustainability lies in its “one-to-many” nature. A single ad placement can reach thousands, if not millions, with a relatively small carbon footprint per impression compared to digital ads across devices that only garner one impression at a time. High-quality inventory in highly trafficked areas leads to a low emission intensity.

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Each campaign is optimized for maximum reach, which leads to less emissions per impression

• Accurate measurement: Leveraging Cedara's technology, billups can measure campaign emissions precisely according to the Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF), the industry standard methodology announced in June 2024. This approach accounts for factors like materials, unit size, power consumption, and installation, contributing to detailed emissions data.
• Compensating emissions: Through Cedara's compensation marketplace, we offer clients the opportunity to compensate for the emissions generated from their campaigns by investing in emissions avoidance/removal projects funding activities like renewable energy and reforestation.
• Maximizing efficiency: Our campaigns are strategically planned using high-traffic placements to maximize reach and minimize carbon impact per impression.

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Innovations in OOH sustainability

Reducing emissions in OOH

Practical, emission-reducing tactics are already being adopted across the OOH industry, and with your support, these efforts can gain greater momentum.

Traditional OOH:

• Use recycled materials and opt for paper over vinyl where possible.
• Recycle creatives to reduce overall emissions.

Digital OOH:

• Cache creative on screens to reduce broadcasting.
• Switch to renewable energy sources.
• Shorten video duration and compress files to cut emissions.

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Future of OOH sustainability

With sustainability increasingly at the forefront of decision-making, technical advancements will continue to minimize OOH’s impact, even beyond an ad’s creation and delivery. Growth areas include:

• Solar-powered billboards: Reduce energy use while keeping ads visible at night.
• Smog-removing coatings: Vinyl and paints that purify the air when exposed to sunlight.
• EV charging stations: Integrating ads with charging points for electric vehicles.
• Water purifiers: OOH installations  that generate clean drinking water from air moisture.

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Key takeaway

When addressing sustainability in media plans, traditional OOH can be a low-intensity, high-impact medium. Brands should consider leveraging OOH’s carbon efficiency as part of their broader carbon reduction strategies.

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_{*Emissions Intensity is measured in grams of CO2e per impression, which can be used to compare billups’ curated OOH inventory to other channels.}

_{**The measured inventory accounted for the majority of billups' traditional OOH business across 1,272 campaigns, excluding only those campaigns where size dimensions were not available due to reporting capabilities.}

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