29-07-2025
Do-good marketing: From aspiration to action in sustainable advertising
As global frameworks push for greater accountability in digital emissions, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is witnessing a sharp rise in sustainable media practices, driven by innovation, demand for better quality, government mandates, and a growing awareness among brands of their carbon footprint.
This momentum follows the release of the updated Ad Net Zero Global Media Sustainability Framework at Cannes Lions in June, which provides a clear global roadmap for measuring, managing, and reducing carbon emissions from media campaigns.
Identifying the sustainable shift
The framework comes as regional governments including the UAE and Saudi Arabia accelerate toward ambitious net-zero goals, putting pressure on every sector, including media and advertising, to align with national strategies.
Digital media, once considered a low-impact channel, has emerged as a significant contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions (CO²e) , primarily due to energy-intensive programmatic wastage, ad serving, fraud and data heavy creative. In response, advertisers in MENA are now seeking more efficient, responsible ways to reach consumers.
Taking sustainable action
Regional players have been quick to adopt sustainable media technologies. Media companies now offer brands in the MENA region a combined model of media efficiency and carbon reduction, developing global and regionally curated, low-carbon marketplaces.
These curated marketplaces feature high-quality inventory across premium publishers and placements, with the added benefit of using streaming creative instead of traditionally heavy assets.
Streaming creative not only offers users a better experience but also uses less data transfer, reducing carbon consumption whilst loading on the first pixel to result in better attention and viewability metrics.
Another key enabler of this transition is artificial intelligence (AI), which is transforming how media is bought, delivered, and optimised. Technologies such as those offered by Perion – formerly Greenbids AI – are helping brands reduce the carbon footprint of campaigns on YouTube, Meta, and other platforms, while maintaining or even improving campaign performance.
As more brands begin tracking CO²e alongside traditional KPIs like reach and conversion, sustainability is becoming not just a compliance measure, but a competitive advantage. What we're seeing in MENA is a fundamental shift, one where performance and responsibility are no longer at odds, there's literally no trade off.
Teaming together for good
Partnerships with like-minded agencies that align with optimising performance while reducing carbon emissions further contribute to clean advertising.
Mazen Mroueh, Head of Performance, Product, and Operations at our partner agency Publicis Media MENA, said, 'Partnerships of this nature allow us to empower clients with strategies that simultaneously optimise performance and drastically reduce carbon emissions. This isn't just about efficiency; it's about shaping a sustainable future for our industry and also significantly reduce carbon output, an increasingly critical priority in today's market.'
The region's media buyers and chief marketing officers (CMOs) are increasingly embedding sustainability into campaign briefs, demanding carbon transparency from partners, and setting internal emissions-reduction targets. Industry analysts note that categories like automotive, travel, consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail are among the early movers.
The rapid adoption of AI-driven solutions, government policy shifts, and global pressure from investors and consumers are creating a tipping point. What was once seen as a future-facing aspiration is now a boardroom priority.
With entities such as Ad Net Zero providing guidance and companies across MENA actively rolling out carbon conscious strategies, the region is positioning itself not just as a participant but as a leader in the future of sustainable media.
By Andy Powell, Co-Founder and CEO, Conscious Media
