- Latest update of Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF) released
- Emissions from 95%* of global media spendcan now be calculated through the Global Media Sustainability Framework
- New creative toolkit – Every Brief Counts – freely available to help unlock more effective storytelling
23 June 2026: Ad Net Zero has published its biggest update on sustainable tools to date, including the third edition of its Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF) to help track emissions from 95%* of global media spend. This is supported by the launch of Every Brief Counts, a voluntary, science-backed toolkit to help creative, strategy and brand professionals enhance advertising effectiveness by featuring more sustainable behaviours and actions in the most appropriate way.
Ad Net Zero Australia Lead Arum Nixon said: “This is a key milestone for Ad Net Zero globally, with two important tools designed to support brands in making their advertising more sustainable – something that’s increasingly expected by consumers and shareholders alike.
“The GMSF provides a common industry standard for measuring media’s environmental footprint, with granular, activity-based data. This is becoming increasingly important for Australian businesses as new mandatory reporting requirements put greater focus on the environmental impact of their entire value chain. The emissions created by producing and distributing advertising are part of this picture – and marketing activities can often be one of the biggest contributors. Globally, advertising contributes between 2% and 4% of all greenhouse gas emissions.”
Supporting a sustainable media supply chain worldwide
For the first time, advertisers and agencies can use GMSF-aligned tools to measure sustainability performance and understand how different media choices affect emissions across markets and channels. This latest edition of the GMSF (v1.3) expands the framework to cover media channels representing 95%* of global media spend, enabling emissions to be calculated consistently using recognised carbon accounting methods and industry best practice. As well as Digital, TV, OOH and Print, the GMSF will soon provide guidance for Audio and Cinema media.
The GMSF has been developed with input from key industry stakeholders and Ad Net Zero supporters around the world. Australian supporters, including SBS, oOh!media, Val Morgan and JCDecaux, provided extensive feedback.
Media Federation of Australia CEO Sophie Madden said: “Measuring and reducing emissions is an increasingly important priority for Australian agencies and clients. Activity-based data is crucial to giving brands a clearer view of their media footprint and empowering choices that reduce emissions without compromising investment or effectiveness. By creating a more consistent approach to measurement and providing practical tools, Ad Net Zero is helping our industry make better decisions at every stage. This rigour is critical as the advertising industry prepares for increasing expectations around emissions transparency.”
Looking ahead, Ad Net Zero Australia will launch two other important tools in Q3, developed with supporter input: a practical guide to reducing emissions from media, and a resource to help marketing leaders align with their organisation’s broader sustainability strategy. The latter will include new data highlighting advertising’s surprisingly significant contribution to a business’s total emissions footprint.
Harnessing the benefits of sustainable storytelling
Every Brief Counts first launched as a pilot in late 2024, designed to showcase the key sustainable behaviours outlined by climate science and help teams tell these stories effectively through advertising. It has been developed in response to industry feedback, particularly from creatives and strategists, that there is a need for easy-to-digest science- backed climate information demonstrating how they can use their skill set to portray more sustainable behaviours accurately and responsibly within advertising.
Evidence from Kantar also shows that ads showing more sustainable behaviours are more effective. Overall short and long-term effectiveness is higher when the content includes sustainable behaviours, and these ads are also more distinctive, especially within their category, as well as emotionally engaging.
*Source: Warc 2025
Media enquiries:
Arum Nixon
Ad Net Zero Australia
0451 093 812
arum@adnetzero.com.au
About Ad Net Zero
Ad Net Zero is a global sustainability program to help the advertising industry decarbonise ad operations and support every industry to accurately promote more sustainable products, services and behaviours. Originally founded by the Advertising Association in partnership with the IPA and ISBA, Ad Net Zero launched its 5-point action plan in the UK in November 2020. It counts hundreds of advertisers, agencies, commercial media owners, tech and production companies in its supporter base, with representation around the world including the US, Ireland, Europe, UAE, Australia and New Zealand. Ad Net Zero launched in Australia in 2024, led by the MFA, IAB Australia, AANA and the Advertising Council of Australia, alongside 30 organisations representing advertisers, agencies and vendors.