On 23 June 2026, Ad Net Zero published the third edition of the Global Media Sustainability Framework — GMSF v1.3 — announced as part of its "London-to-Cannes" milestone spanning London Climate Action Week and Cannes Lions. For the first time, emissions from media channels accounting for 95% of global media spend can be calculated with a single consistent framework. WE7 AI is built to complement this standard — adding the SDG alignment, greenwashing detection, and advisory intelligence that turns carbon data into strategy.
What Is the Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF)?
The Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF) is the advertising industry's standardized, open-source methodology for measuring the carbon emissions of digital media campaigns. Developed by Ad Net Zero with input from over 100 contributing organizations — including the 4As, ANA, Google, Meta, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, WPP, dentsu, Havas, IAB, ISBA, and many more — it defines how to calculate the carbon footprint of programmatic advertising, TV, out-of-home (OOH), and print.
GMSF replaced the older spend-based estimation model — which multiplied ad spend by an industry-average emission factor — with an activity-based measurement approach that tracks actual impressions, clicks, data volume, and creative complexity. This shift was critical: spend-based measurement was shown to overstate digital advertising emissions by up to 450%, undermining credibility with sustainability teams and regulators.
What Changed from GMSF v1.2 to v1.3?
GMSF v1.2, released in 2025, established activity-based measurement as the industry baseline. v1.3 — described by Ad Net Zero as its "biggest update on sustainable tools to date" — expands and strengthens the framework in several key ways:
95% of Global Media Spend
v1.3 extends consistent emissions calculation across Digital, TV, OOH, and Print — covering 95% of global media spend. Audio and Cinema guidance is coming soon.
100+ Contributing Organizations
Built with input from the GMSF Steer Team and Ad Net Zero Global supporters including Google, Meta, Omnicom, Publicis, WPP, dentsu, IAB, ISBA, and more.
Cross-Market Consistency
For the first time, advertisers and agencies can view sustainability performance and compare media decisions across markets and channels with one framework.
Carbon Accounting Aligned
Calculations are in line with carbon accounting and industry best practices, enabling audit-ready sustainability disclosures.
Ad Net Zero also launched Every Brief Counts, a freely available, science-backed creative toolkit helping creative, strategy, and brand professionals feature more sustainable behaviours in advertising — evidence from Kantar shows ads portraying sustainable behaviours are more effective.
Why GMSF v1.3 Matters for Marketing Teams
For CMOs, sustainability directors, and marketing operations leaders, GMSF v1.3 changes the calculus in three ways:
A Shared Measurement Language
With 100+ organizations behind it, GMSF v1.3 gives the industry one consistent way to measure media emissions across markets and channels — ending the era of fragmented, incomparable estimates.
From Estimates to Activity-Based Data
Activity-based measurement means real impression, click, and data-volume signals — not spend multiplied by an average factor. But measurement alone does not equal compliance or strategy.
Global Regulatory Convergence Is Accelerating
CSRD in the EU, SB 253 in California, SEC climate disclosure in the US, and the EU Omnibus package are converging on the same requirement: brands must measure, report, and reduce the carbon footprint of their marketing.
How GMSF v1.3 and WE7 AI Work Together
WE7 AI is built to complement GMSF v1.3, not compete with it. GMSF v1.3 provides the measurement standard; WE7 AI sits on top of it as the strategy and intelligence layer — aligning campaigns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, detecting greenwashing in real time, and translating carbon data into board-level compliance language. Together, they form a complete carbon-first marketing stack.
| Capability | GMSF v1.2 | GMSF v1.3 | WE7 AI (complements v1.3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measurement Method | Activity-based (impressions, clicks) | Activity-based, expanded channel coverage | Activity-based + SDG alignment + greenwashing detection |
| Channel Coverage | Digital, TV, OOH, Print | 95% of global media spend (Audio & Cinema coming) | Same coverage, with SDG reasoning layer on top |
| Regulatory Coverage | CSRD, GHG Protocol | CSRD, GHG Protocol, industry best practices | CSRD, ECGT, SEC, SB 253 + IFRS S2 marketing compliance |
| SDG Alignment | Not addressed | Not addressed | Core methodology — UN SDGs embedded in every campaign decision |
| Greenwashing Detection | Not addressed | Not addressed | Real-time ECGT-compliant greenwashing guard |
| Role in the Stack | Measurement baseline | Measurement standard | Strategy & intelligence layer on top of measurement |
The 2026 Regulatory Timeline Every Marketer Needs
GMSF v1.3 arrives at a moment of unprecedented regulatory convergence. Here's what's coming and when:
What This Means for Your Search Strategy
The publication of GMSF v1.3 is reshaping the search landscape for sustainable advertising. Here are the terms gaining momentum — and where WE7 AI is building authority:
Source: Ad Net Zero, "Ad Net Zero Marks 'London-To-Cannes' Milestone with Key Programme Updates," 23 June 2026. adnetzero.com ↗
The Bottom Line
GMSF v1.3 is a win for the industry — it gives everyone a shared, consistent way to measure media emissions, and WE7 AI is proud to build on that foundation. Where GMSF v1.3 measures, WE7 AI strategizes: adding the SDG alignment, greenwashing detection, and advisory intelligence that turn carbon data into a growth strategy. It's a partnership of layers, not a competition of tools.
If your brand is adopting GMSF v1.3, the question is not whether to measure — it's how to turn that measurement into marketing that regenerates. That's where WE7 AI comes in.