DACIA: Calculating the Carbon Footprint of Digital Marketing Activities to Identify Reduction Levers

Assessing the carbon footprint of digital marketing for informed decision-making

Part of Renault Group, Dacia wanted to assess the carbon footprint of its digital marketing activities, both in terms of campaigns and digital assets (websites, videos,...). As the brand invests heavily in digital advertising, with each channel carrying strong business stakes, understanding the carbon footprint such investments represent was essential for informed decision making.

To achieve its goals, Dacia needed to acquire the right carbon measurement tools for the digital sphere, a still nascent science, and embark all relevant stakeholders, from local teams to media agencies.

Gathering data across various sources and implementing autonomous calculation

Dacia partnered with fifty-five to set up an autonomous footprint calculation for all campaigns over 6 countries and 2 years through a direct Adtech tools connection, relying on data collected through Campaign Manager 360, Search Ads 360, Display & Video 360, Meta, Funnel, YouTube and Tagscan. This data was then processed through BigQuery, where total emissions were subsequently calculated.

fifty-five developed a dynamic data visualization tool (via Looker) for local teams to identify their main GHG (greenhouse gasses) emitters as well as potential reduction levers. A detailed analysis prioritizing and quantifying reduction strategies in line with Renault Group’s ambition was then shared with all stakeholders.

A comprehensive view of digital carbon emissions and potential reduction levers

• A shared visualization dashboard comparing business and carbon performance

• A comprehensive plan with a clear starting point and various reduction scenarios that would meet and even surpass the group’s targeted carbon emission reduction

• A thoroughly documented, transparent emission measurement methodology

The partnership between Dacia and fifty-five on this project was explored in depth on our podcast, Data Break by fifty-five (French edition).

In 2023, this case study won the "Cas d'OR" (Golden Case) prize in the Ecological Footprint Mastery category at the Cas d'OR du Digital Responsable (Sustainable Digital Business).