Marketers want to go green, but is genAI locking them into a carbon trap?

And it’s not just a matter of principle. It’s a business risk.

The great genAI contradiction

Marketers have been among genAI’s earliest and most aggressive adopters. From automated copywriting to synthetic influencers and campaign optimization, few disciplines have embraced it with such speed. But while the creative potential is undeniable, the energy consumption is harder to ignore.

“GenAI is energy-intensive,” says Richard Davis, CEO and co-founder of 51toCarbonZero. “But with the right knowledge and approach, it can be used more sustainably.”

Davis points to smaller language models (SLMs) – leaner, task-specific AI models that often consume a fraction of the energy of large foundation models like GPT-4. “They’re faster, cheaper, and more than enough for many marketing use cases,” he says.

Somewhat ironically, Davis notes that genAI itself can support sustainability goals – if marketers use it strategically. “It can optimize media buys to reduce unnecessary impressions or help design low-carbon creative assets,” he says.

But that requires something marketing teams aren’t exactly known for: visibility into their own emissions.

A missing piece of the net-zero puzzle

Despite its spend and scale, marketing is often left out of corporate climate action. According to 51toCarbonZero’s survey, nearly half of UK-based marketers say decarbonization isn’t even part of their department’s broader enterprise strategy.

“Marketing is still siloed off from climate action,” Davis says. “It sounds simple, but just integrating marketing’s emissions into the company’s net-zero plan is a crucial first step.”

It matters more than many realize. Digital marketing emissions are now on par with those of the aviation industry, thanks in part to the rise of programmatic media, 24/7 ad operations, and – increasingly – generative AI.

If brands want to lead on climate, they can’t treat marketing’s footprint as a rounding error.

Follow the money

Marketers often cite budget constraints as a barrier to sustainable innovation. But the cost narrative is beginning to shift.

Procurement teams are getting involved. Agencies are being asked to disclose their carbon credentials. And the consequences are getting real.

“We’re already seeing vendors excluded from RFPs or pressured to show progress toward net zero,” says Davis. “Sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a requirement to win and keep business.”

More than two-thirds of senior marketers surveyed said that sustainability plays a key role in how they select partners, vendors, and platforms. That includes tech providers selling AI-powered tools.

“If you’re selling marketing solutions and you can’t demonstrate your emissions or mitigation strategy, you’re going to lose ground,” Davis says.

Who’s leading and who’s lagging?

While some brands are taking action – investing in carbon intelligence platforms, demanding disclosures, exploring SLMs – others are still in the awareness phase. But as regulatory pressure ramps up (particularly in the EU and UK), laggards won’t be able to hide behind good intentions.

“The pressure is coming from investors, regulators, consumers, even employees,” Davis says. “Decarbonization isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s smart business. It builds trust, improves efficiency, and gives companies a competitive edge.”

“Marketing has a unique role to play,” added Davis. “It sits at the intersection of reputation, influence, and innovation. If it gets this right, the rest of the business will follow.”