Marketers are in the business of momentum. Marketing shapes perception, influences behaviour, and fuels growth.

Now, the industry is being handed one of the biggest opportunities it has seen in decades: the chance to lead on climate action and drive real business value in the process, writes Richard Davis, CEO and co-founder of 51toCarbonZero.

Sustainability is no longer a fringe issue or a long-term vision. It’s a strategic priority for brands and a deciding factor for customers, investors, and employees alike.

Recent research we conducted found that a staggering 98% of senior marketers believe sustainability is important to win consumers.

And yet, despite marketing’s unique power to influence change, it is often still left out of the wider net-zero conversation, as 40% of senior marketers say their marketing emissions aren’t currently integrated into their company’s climate strategy.

What’s more, almost half say the rise of GenAI is making it harder to operate sustainably. But this isn’t a problem to shy away from, it’s a powerful opportunity to show how creative, commercial and climate goals can work in perfect alignment.

Reframing the need for climate action

We need to evolve the way we talk about sustainability, not as a compliance requirement or moral obligation, but as a springboard for innovation, differentiation, and growth.

This isn’t about box-ticking. It’s about brand-building.

Sustainability can be a powerful competitive advantage. It’s already shaping procurement decisions, influencing campaign strategies, and redefining what consumers expect from the brands they support. The marketers who recognise this aren’t just keeping up with change, they’re leading it.

That leadership starts by reframing how we think. Climate action isn’t just the “right thing to do”, it’s a source of economic value. We need to see it not as a crisis, but as a catalyst. And it’s not about 2050, it’s about what we do today.

Smarter use of GenAI is key

No conversation about sustainability in marketing can ignore the role of GenAI. The tools marketers have come to rely on for content creation and automation also carry a growing environmental impact.

But that doesn’t mean brands should abandon them, far from it.

With smarter choices, the technology can be used more responsibly. Many marketing tasks can be handled by smaller, more efficient models, which consume far less energy while delivering the same results.

And GenAI itself can be used to reduce emissions, from optimising ad placements and media spend to streamlining production processes and avoiding creative duplication.

What matters most is visibility.

Marketers need clearer insight into the footprint of the tools they use and the partners they work with. That transparency creates better decisions and better outcomes for both business and planet.

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Tappx example: Turning insight into action

We’ve seen firsthand what this transformation can look like through our work with Tappx, a programmatic ad-tech company that has consistently tracked and improved its carbon footprint over the past three years.

In 2024, the firm delivered its most comprehensive footprint to-date, with 100% of emissions now mapped to Scope 3. By improving data quality across the board, Tappx is building a clear and consistent view of its impact and where to focus next.

This focus is already delivering results. Emissions from cloud servers, one of the most carbon-intensive elements of digital operations, have been cut by over 19% year-on-year and more than 32% since 2022.

This kind of optimisation – driven by smarter infrastructure and more efficient hosting – shows how technical progress and climate ambition can go hand-in-hand.

With a public commitment to reach net zero by 2030, the company is showing that transparency, intent, and steady progress are what it takes to lead in the next era of digital advertising.

The ripple effect is already here

Sustainability is now shaping the agency and vendor landscape.

In our latest survey, two-thirds of marketers said they now prioritise carbon credentials when selecting partners. More than half said those credentials are “extremely important”.

This shift is accelerating.

In pitches, in request for proposals (RFPs), in day-to-day operations, businesses are making decisions based not just on performance, but on impact. The agencies and tech vendors who can demonstrate progress – backed by real data – are gaining trust, winning business, and leading the next wave of growth.

That ripple effect is moving the whole industry forward.

Every decision is a signal. And marketing, more than any other discipline, knows how to make signals matter.

What we do today defines tomorrow

The most powerful thing marketers can do right now is start.

Net-zero isn’t a distant destination, it’s a journey shaped by the choices brands make every day. From the partners they work with to the platforms they use, from how marketers plan campaigns to how they measure success, every decision can move marketing closer to a more sustainable and resilient future.

And this isn’t just good for the planet. It’s good for business. Sustainable brands attract more loyal customers, more aligned partners, and more talented people. They innovate faster.

They adapt better. And they lead with purpose.

Marketing has always been about momentum. About spotting the next shift before it happens and responding with imagination, speed, and clarity.

Now marketing is being handed the chance to really make its mark, at a time when the world needs it most.