GARM’s legacy in flux as sustainability standards forge ahead amid uncertainty

After more than a year in development, the standards for measuring ad carbon emissions were unveiled by GARM and Ad Net Zero at Cannes. These standards were more of a preliminary draft than a finished product, but both organizations committed to refining and finalizing them. With GARM’s dissolution last week following Elon Musk’s lawsuit, Ad Net Zero has now taken full charge of advancing these standards. 

So, while Ad Net Zero will now steer the framework, it’s backed by a strong coalition including Scope 3, IAB Europe, and all the other stakeholders driving this initiative forward. An Ad Net Zero spokesperson declined to provide further details, but there’s clear movement happening behind the scenes as the wider group continues to evolve.

Just days after GARM’s closure was announced, key players in the GMSF convened a meeting organized by one of IAB Europe’s working groups. Representatives from the trade body assured attendees that they would continue to develop their tool for estimating greenhouse gas emissions from digital advertising campaigns, supporting companies across the supply chain in implementing the GMSF.

“IAB Europe has actively contributed to the development of the Global Media Sustainability Framework since its conception, supporting the work on digital channels,” said Dimitris Beis, data analyst and sustainability manager at the IAB Europe. “We remain committed to our collaboration with Ad Net Zero on the framework’s development and are currently working on a new tool, which is now in Beta testing, to help companies across the supply chain implement the Global Media Sustainability Framework.”

Because when it comes to pushing industry standards across the finish line, it really does take a village.

“It’s not surprising that people are rallying around [the framework] and moving forward,” said Gabi Kay, head of product, creative, and production at Scope3, who attended the meeting as a representative from one of the companies involved in developing the GMSF. “That overwhelming energy from those who have been involved with it so far has made sure there’s enough continuation and structure within the group to get this done.”

While exact details of discussions are under wraps, expect the same players as were in it before.

“There are a finite number of entities that were involved in the process that got us to this point, and so there is a very high probability that those same entities will be the new configuration of what this [the framework] looks like,” said Kay. “In fact, as these conversations start bubbling back up it’s the same voices we’re hearing, because there is a committed band of people and organizations in this conversation.”

As for the rest of GARM’s work, its future remains unclear. It’s uncertain if anything will step in to fill the gap left behind. Given the recent discussions — and notable silences — it’s debatable whether a direct replacement is even necessary. If anything, this presents a chance to rethink what such a group should actually aim to achieve, particularly considering the limitations and potential misuse of the brand safety frameworks GARM established.

“Although the discontinuation of GARM’s activities is a significant development in the advertising community, it is still vital for our industry to ensure a responsible and safe digital advertising ecosystem,” said Jo Kinsella, global president at ad tech creative platform XR Extreme Reach. “It is important to remain committed to transparency and collaboration in upholding these standards for brand safety and responsible media practices.”

Which is to say, the real question is whether GARM’s collapse — sparked by Musk’s lawsuit — will prompt a necessary re-evaluation of its standards and definitions, which were often criticized for being too narrowly defined and poorly enforced.

“The question is whether the ad industry needs a GARM to keep on track or whether advertisers are genuinely committed to reducing carbon emissions,” said Sarah Aird-Mash, cmo at AI firm Adludio. “What would be great is if we could find a way to move the GMSF from a framework for global advertisers to a movement that can be easily adopted by startups and smaller businesses across the U.S.”

She’s referring to the GMSF, but it could just as easily apply to GARM itself. After all, there’s still a clear need for a unified framework to ensure accountability for where ads appear. Without it, the troubling reports from Adalytics — highlighting unsafe advertising for brands — are only likely to worsen.

However, not everyone shares this view. Some argue that GARM had reached its natural conclusion. They acknowledge its role in establishing brand safety standards but believe its voluntary nature and the controversies surrounding its influence were beginning to hinder its effectiveness.

“So we’re not overly concerned about the impact of GARM being discontinued on the industry because in general our clients aren’t looking to act collectively against ad platforms,” said Chris Rigas, vp of media at Markacy. “But we wish that X was being run by someone with more interest and ability to deliver results for advertisers — it’s clearly not Musk’s priority.”