When I visited Tokyo in July, the city was trapped in an unforgiving heatwave. Just days later, Melbourne recorded its coldest morning in history. These are not random seasonal quirks. They are stark reminders that climate change is no longer a problem for tomorrow. It is reshaping our lives today. Cities across the world are heating up, weather patterns are breaking records, and communities are facing disruptions on a scale that threatens both economic stability and social resilience.
Amid this reality, it may seem unusual to ask what role advertising can play. After all, advertising has always been seen as the business of influence, not intervention. Yet when you step back and consider its reach, its visibility, and its ability to shape behavior, the question becomes urgent. Advertising has always reflected culture, progress, and innovation. Today, it must also reflect responsibility.
Among all media channels, Digital Out-of-Home, or DOOH, is uniquely placed to lead this transformation. DOOH dominates public spaces. It delivers mass visibility across cities, highways, airports, and transit systems. And with the power of programmatic technology, it can now account for its environmental footprint in ways that were not possible before. If there is any medium that has the scale, the visibility, and the infrastructure to demonstrate accountability, it is DOOH.
For too long, sustainability in advertising has stopped at reporting. Count the emissions, publish a figure, and move on. This armchair reporting may be a step in the right direction, but measurement without action is hollow. Without intervention, it risks becoming another layer of greenwashing that undermines trust and credibility. The world cannot afford for sustainability to be reduced to a buzzword.
That is why DOOH has an obligation to act. Programmatic platforms already standardize how campaigns are delivered, optimized, and measured. Why should they not also standardize accountability? Imagine an industry where every campaign is not only tracked but also neutralized. If DOOH shows the way, it sets a precedent for every other media channel, from television to digital video. Accountability must be built into the fabric of advertising, not left as an optional add-on.
The shift toward neutrality cannot be treated as a premium feature for those willing to pay more. It has to become the baseline for the entire ecosystem. By embedding carbon neutrality directly into campaign execution, the barriers that have kept sustainability on the sidelines are removed. For advertisers, this means campaigns that drive impact while staying climate-conscious. For agencies, it means accountability is a standard expectation, not a luxury. For media owners, it means long-term resilience as consumer and regulatory expectations evolve.
“The screens that illuminate our cities must become more than platforms for visibility. They must stand as symbols of responsibility, showing that growth and sustainability are not opposing goals but shared commitments.”
This shift is not just about risk mitigation. It is about reimagining the role of media in society. For brands, campaigns can no longer be measured only in reach or conversions. They must also be seen as climate commitments, a visible proof of values in action. For agencies, neutrality offers a way to pair creativity with accountability, ensuring clients see not only the impact of campaigns but also their responsibility. For media owners, embracing neutrality future-proofs assets in an environment where accountability is no longer optional.
Transparency is the foundation of this change. Free carbon reporting allows every campaign to begin with visibility into its footprint. But transparency without neutrality is insufficient. The real breakthrough comes when reporting and responsibility go hand in hand. Awareness without action is a missed opportunity. Neutrality ensures the promise of sustainability translates into measurable outcomes.
The global climate challenge is immense, and no single industry can solve it alone. Yet advertising has a disproportionate influence on behavior, culture, and priorities. If it can demonstrate leadership, it can inspire transformation beyond its own borders. The billboards that light up city skylines and the digital panels that guide millions of commuters daily can be more than commercial surfaces. They can become statements of accountability, declarations of progress, and commitments to a shared future.
The world is heating up. Advertising may not be able to reverse climate change on its own, but it can certainly cool its own heat. And in doing so, it can create ripples that influence industries far beyond the media. If DOOH sets the example, other channels will have no excuse but to follow.
Every campaign matters. Every choice counts. Together, the world’s largest advertising screens can be transformed into the loudest commitment to sustainability.
Carbon neutral, one campaign at a time.
Srikanth Ramachandran, Founder and Group CEO, Moving Walls
Srikanth Ramachandran is a distinguished architect of the modern media-tech landscape and the Founder and Group CEO of Moving Walls, a globally awarded enterprise shaping how brands engage audiences in motion. With an unerring eye for the future, he has led the company to global acclaim from TiE50 to Unilever Foundry30 and Campaign Asia’s Most Valuable Product by marrying data precision with contextual storytelling across the physical world. Educated at Nanyang Business School and seasoned by leadership tenures at IBM Singapore, Srikanth also founded Knowledge Dynamics, which later merged with a NYSE publicly listed firm. His career is defined by an elegant fusion of strategic insight and technological stewardship.
A firm believer in technology’s moral imperative, Srikanth champions the idea that innovations especially in AI must not only scale but serve, enriching human experience while upholding social integrity. His voice remains one of the region’s most influential in bridging the divide between what is possible and what is purposeful.
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