Building the digital ecosystem of the future doesn’t have to come at the expense of business performance. That is why the global e-commerce performance agency Labelium is launching “footsprint,” the first end-to-end digital sustainability change management partner. Labelium’s new division aims to accelerate the decarbonization of the digital industry by empowering companies to reduce their carbon emissions through responsible and sustainable digital efforts. The practice is led by Elisa Boivin, Managing Director of footsprint, who brings a strong background in digital performance. The announcement was made today by Anne Bougel, CEO Labelium Americas.
“Launching footsprint is meaningful to us not only as an international company, but also as citizens,” said Bougel. “The environmental crisis is a reality that is hard to ignore, and the digital ecosystem's environmental impact is massive. Footsprint’s purpose is to measure and reduce this impact. With this crucial new service, businesses can now support and grow more responsible digital practices.”
By working at the crossroads of sciences with a team composed of seasoned environmental and digital experts, footsprint improves digital sustainability metrics while delivering on e-commerce performance. Committed to creating a positive impact on the planet and society, the division will be redistributing 10% of its margins to environmental and social projects, through vetted partners such as Ecologi and Eden Reforestation Projects.
In order to demonstrate the very real impact of digital marketing on the environment, footsprint has released a leading-edge study this week that evaluates and ranks the carbon footprint of websites of 60 companies listed on the Toronto Stock exchange. The sites were ranked by Top Sustainable (least polluting) and the Least Sustainable (most polluting). That study can be viewed here: https://www.footsprint.co/fcr60/. In the coming weeks, Footsprint will be conducting a similar study of websites in the US marketplace.
Background & context
Digital is very late in the sustainability game and footsprint was created to lead the change. With almost 40 billion tons of CO2 generated in 2021, the global digital industry already has a larger carbon footprint than the entire civil aviation industry. Late in the sustainability game and still unaccounted for in today's ESG indexes, the sector is expected to generate 8% of world emissions by 2025.*1
While device manufacturing and electronic waste are often designated as the main pollution drivers, the impact of e-commerce and online advertising is massive – and skyrocketing. Research shows that the average web page today is nearly 4.5 times the size of a web page in 2010, consuming more electricity than before.*2 The average advertising campaign is estimated to generate 5.4 tons of CO2e*3 – which is about 35% of the average annual carbon footprint of a person in Canada.*4
While the urge to act is becoming critical, with growing pressure from institutions and public opinion (a recent study in France has shown that 92% of surveyed 15-24 year olds are demanding from brands that they take action to reduce the environmental impact of their communications*5), the transformation towards digital sobriety represents a massive challenge for the industry.
Indeed, it encompasses such a wide scope of actions and expertises, studies have shown the industry is suffering from a severe lack of guidance: 63% of professionals who have planned to measure and reduce their carbon impact do not know where to start*6.
Footsprint’s mission & services
Footprints empowers its clients to transition toward more responsible and sustainable digital practices. The agency was created as an end-to-end change-management partner. From website foundations to multichannel digital advertising, footsprint provides a full stack of sustainable digital solutions, built with a methodology based on the latest industry research:
- Sustainable web design to ensure websites place people and the planet first through efficiency & sustainability by design.
- Responsible media to reduce advertising emissions while boosting media performance.
- Developed with a strong ecological and business performance mindset, all services are reconciling sustainability and digital performance:
- From a visibility & engagement booster. Responsible & social impact-driven media is proven to drive higher brand recall and more interactions than regular ads, particularly when it comes to reaching Gen Z
- To a key to improve website performances. Building lighter, more efficient websites helps with SEO ranking, page speed, reduce friction and ultimately results in higher conversion rates.
“The digital industry needs to step-up its governance when it comes to sustainability if it is to play its role as an agent of change in our ecological and societal transition,” said Boivin. “The IPCC’s latest report is very clear: every bit of warming matters, every year matters and every choice matters. We are thrilled and proud to pioneer this practice with our teams and clients, and to work together to build the digital ecosystem of the future.”
Boivin joined Labelium seven years ago as a media director and quickly rose to program director overseeing large international accounts across the Luxury, Fashion and Retail sectors. In 2021, she was named ESG Director for the Americas, spearheading Labelium’s first ESG materiality analysis and uncovering a gap in today’s ESG auditing methodologies in terms of measuring the carbon footprint of digital advertising. The combination of these roles led her into the field of digital sustainability and the founding of footsprint, which was born out of Labelium’s incubator program and is backed and supported by the group.
Footnotes/Sources: 1: The Shift Project ; 2: Green IT, Frederic Bordage (2019) ; 3: Good Loop (2021) ; 4: Our World in Data based on the Global Carbon Project (2020) ; 5: Le Grand (R)éveil Digital, Panel Publicis (2020) ; 6: IAB Happydemics (2021)
About Footsprint
Launched in 2022 by the Labelium Group, footsprint is the first global digital sustainability consultancy brand. From sustainable web design and media services to social impact advertising, footsprint aims to empower its clients in transitioning towards more responsible digital practices. The footsprint team is innovative, diverse and science-driven, composed of seasoned environmental and digital experts. For more information please visit us at https://www.footsprint.co/
About Labelium
Independent digital performance agency Labelium drives business growth through performance-driven strategies in more than 16 countries. Since 2001, their 600 skilled team members have supported hundreds of local and international companies to develop and/or secure a leading position in their markets. They design and implement innovative, performance-driven, and cost-efficient digital strategies and ensure winning e-commerce and e-retail programs. Among Labelium its 550+ customers, Labelium counts leading companies such as LVMH, L'Oréal, Carrefour, Lexmark, Christie's, Tommy Hilfiger, Sephora, Lacoste, Rudsak, ba&sh, COTY, Dior, Warner Bros, MSC Cruises, and Club Med. For more information, visit labelium.com.
