IAB Europe, the European-level industry association for the digital marketing and advertising ecosystem, today (February 19th, 2025) announced the results of its latest annual ‘State of Readiness - Sustainability in Digital Advertising’ Report for 2025. Now in its third year, the report provides key insights into the industry’s sustainability priorities, actions taken to reduce carbon footprints, and the progress made towards more sustainable practices across Europe.

Based on 102 responses from companies in the digital advertising ecosystem across Europe, the report reveals that the majority of businesses (74%) see sustainability as a vital component of their business models. The number of companies that have set Science-Based Targets (SBTs) has also seen significant progress, increasing to 28% in 2025. 

The report also reveals the need for a multidimensional approach for continued progress in environmental sustainability. It emphasises the need for key actions, with respondents strongly agreeing/agreeing that greenhouse gas (GHG) estimation, the creation of consistent standards for GHG estimation, and the development and adoption of tools to reduce emissions are needed, to drive meaningful change.

Key findings from the 2025 State of Readiness Report highlight:

• Sustainability is still a priority: Sustainability is still a key challenge for the digital advertising industry in 2025 being cited as the second most important challenge, just after measurement.

• Focus on emissions and DE&I growth: GHG emissions remain the top Environmental, Sustainability, and Governance (ESG) concern, while an emphasis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) has grown significantly.

• Progress in emissions measurement: Almost half of businesses now estimate the emissions produced by digital media products, doubling from 2024. 

• Ongoing barriers to progress: Lack of industry standards and education remain key obstacles to progress on sustainability, though fewer companies cite financial constraints, indicating increased investment in sustainability efforts.

Commenting on the findings, Townsend Feehan CEO of IAB Europe said "The 2025 findings show encouraging progress, with more companies setting science-based targets and actively measuring their environmental impact. However, our industry still requires greater collaboration, consistent standards, and continued investment to drive meaningful change. IAB Europe remains committed to supporting the industry in accelerating its sustainability journey.”

Anthony Falco, global director at Ad Net Zero also commented, “It’s clear that standardisation of GHG emissions measurement is required to accelerate reductions across the digital advertising landscape, and the development of Global Media Sustainability Framework(GMSF) is an important part of this. As more companies prioritise sustainability, in part to comply with regulatory requirements, standardisation can help create real, positive change for the industry.”

IAB Europe’s Sustainability Standards Committee is a multi-stakeholder group that shares insights and delivers outputs that help reduce the amount of energy consumed and emissions produced by digital advertising. The findings from this year’s report will help drive the committee’s work for the year ahead.

For more information about IAB Europe’s sustainability initiatives, visit the IAB Europe Sustainability Hub here. To learn more about membership opportunities and how to get involved, please contact communication@iabeurope.eu.

The full report with accompanying graphs can be downloaded from IAB Europe’s website here.