WE7 AI — Digital Advertising GHG Estimation Methodology
GMSF-Aligned Standards for Transparent Carbon Tracking
WE7 AI employs a comprehensive lifecycle assessment approach to measure greenhouse gas emissions from digital advertising campaigns. Our methodology follows GMSF (Global Media Sustainability Framework) standards and accounts for all three phases of the advertising lifecycle: Creation, Distribution, and Consumption. This document provides complete transparency into our calculation methods, data sources, and reporting standards.
Scope & Functional Unit
Functional units
CO2ePM = kgCO₂e per 1,000 impressions
Lifecycle phases
Total emissions are the sum of: CO2e_total = CO2e_creation + CO2e_distribution + CO2e_consumption
Data Model (Inputs, Defaults, Constants)
1.1 Inputs
Impressions (I), creative format (display/video/instream), creative weight (MB), view time (seconds), device mix by country, geo (country/region), buying method (RTB/programmatic vs direct), supply path proxy.
1.2 Defaults
Default creative weight per format, default view time per format, default fixed vs mobile network ratios by region, default ads.txt lines/server factors, default payload sizes.
1.3 Constants
Grid carbon intensity CI_grid (kgCO₂e/kWh) location-based, network energy intensity (kWh/MB or kWh/KB), embodied emissions intensity, server PUE, overhead multipliers, amortization lifetimes.
CREATION Phase — Post-Production Storage
Post-production storage emissions
WE7 AI models storage energy and converts it to CO₂e using: E_storage = S_MB × t_storage × EI_storage, then CO2e_creation = E_storage × CI_grid. If storage data is not available, WE7 AI flags Creation as "data required / RFI to creative agency".
DISTRIBUTION Phase — Ad Space Selection + Creative Delivery
3A) Ad Space Selection (RTB / Programmatic)
WE7 AI models RTB as "ad opportunities" that trigger server processing and network calls. Total auction events multiplier: M_auction = P × A × (1 + R_req) × (1 + R_res). Includes data center server use-phase, data center server embodied, network use-phase, and network embodied emissions.
3B) Ad Creative Delivery
Creative delivery is driven by data transferred per impression. MB_out = W_MB + Payload_MB. Total data delivered: D_delivered,MB = I × MB_out. Includes delivery infrastructure (servers/edge/CDN) use-phase and embodied, plus delivery network use-phase and embodied emissions.
3C) Special Cases
End-to-end platforms (e.g., social) use platform guidance defaults. Direct deals use direct-sale server count + call count defaults, with creative delivery applying as above.
CONSUMPTION Phase — User Device Use + Embodied
4.1 Device use-phase emissions
Total energy: E_device,use = I × Σ(r_d × t_view,d × EI_d). Emissions: CO2e_device,use = E_device,use × CI_viewer_grid
4.2 Device embodied emissions
CO2e_device,emb = I × Σ(r_d × t_view,d × EF_d,emb). Total: CO2e_consumption = CO2e_device,use + CO2e_device,emb
"Data Hacks" / Missing Data Guidance
WE7 AI Rules
WE7 AI uses "data hacks" only when inputs are missing, with conservative defaults and explicit labeling. If creative type is video and weight unknown → default 4 MB. If view time unknown: display → 3s, video → 30s. Every "hack" triggers Data Quality Tier annotation and sensitivity notes.
WE7 AI Output Metrics
What We Report
At minimum: CO2e_total (kgCO₂e), CO2ePM (kgCO₂e / 1,000 impressions). Breakdown by phase: Creation / Selection / Delivery / Consumption. Use vs embodied split. Optional: kgCO₂e per click, kgCO₂e per conversion, "Carbon efficiency" = ROI / kgCO₂e (reported as comparative trend).
Product-State Disclosure
DD-Safe Language
Current state: standards-aligned analytical model + prototype workflow; partial manual inputs. Target state: automated ingestion (ads + platform + supply path signals) + real-time decision intelligence.
What WE7 AI Adds Beyond "Just GMSF Math"
Our Differentiation
Decision-time optimization recommendations (pre-campaign + mid-flight), waste detection signals (invalid traffic / supply inefficiency), integration with your SDG-aligned Growth layer.
Key Formula Reference
Standards Compliance
Our methodology aligns with international standards including GMSF (Global Media Sustainability Framework), IFRS S2, and CSRD requirements for Scope 3 emissions reporting.