Finland’s commercial TV broadcasters spent the past year developing a carbon emissions measurement framework for linear TV advertising, starting with no local methodology and ending with a validated model owned by an industry body. For markets facing the same challenge, the experience offers a useful reference point.
Start narrow, then scale
The project focused exclusively on linear TV rather than attempting a cross-channel solution from the outset. This kept the scope manageable and delivered results sooner.
- Identify the most tractable part first.
- Build and validate a formula for that medium before expanding.
- Use early progress to secure support.
- Plan for other channels once the baseline is in place.
Local data matters
“The idea was to create something that fits the market and local environment, and make progress in a way that is practical and useful for the industry,” said Jonne Ansamaa, Product Owner at Sanoma.
Global Media Sustainability Framework’s (GMSF) default electricity emission factor is twice the actual Finnish figure. Applying the correct local value cuts calculated emissions in half. Markets should not assume global defaults reflect their own infrastructure and energy mix accurately.
Collaborate, don’t do it alone
Calculating emissions differently from other local broadcasters offered no competitive advantage. Sanoma Media Finland initiated the project, but it became a joint effort at an early stage. MTV, Sanoma, and Warner Bros. Discovery developed the framework together, with a working group focused on a clear objective: a single, transparent standard for measuring the carbon footprint of TV advertising (see their press release).
The collaboration produced a more impactful model than any single organisation could have built independently. Anchoring the framework within Screenforce Finland, the commercial TV marketing body, gave it market-wide legitimacy and credibility.
Be transparent
The GMSF was not built with every market’s infrastructure in mind. In Finland, the centralised ad delivery system Spotgate sits outside the framework’s calculation model. Rather than forcing a workaround, the team excluded that element and documented the limitation transparently, keeping the model GMSF-compliant without overstating its scope.
The industry goal is a single, cross-channel figure
Advertisers and agencies seek a number that covers their scope 3 emissions across all channels, from a single source. Finland’s TV framework is a practical first step. The logical next step is a central coordinating entity to manage a unified, cross-channel methodology.
egta members can watch a recording of Jonne Ansamaa’s presentation here.
Source: egta.com
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