Sustainability Drives Strategy: How Alpine Project helps AdTechs unlock new revenue opportunities with real sustainability strategies

In AdTech, speed and scale often take center stage. Brian Murphy is advocating for something just as urgent: climate accountability. A longtime AdTech executive and now founder of the Alpine Project, Brian has made it his mission to help companies in the advertising industry do more than just measure their emissions. His goal? Helping them leverage sustainability as a business advantage. 

When Lauren Burke, CEO of Ljs Advisory, sat down with Brian during Earth Month, a conversation emerged on the industry's future - and the power of making change from the inside out. 

From business decision to sustainability mission 

Before founding Alpine Project, Brian held leadership roles at some of the most recognized names in AdTech,  including DoubleClick, Yahoo, and Google. But it was at OpenX where a pivotal shift happened. 

In 2019, OpenX made the decision to move from on-premises data centers to the Google Cloud platform. What started as a cost-saving infrastructure upgrade became something more. "When the migration was complete, the folks at Google said, you might want to run a greenhouse gas inventory because you're probably going to see a big reduction in your overall greenhouse gas emissions," recalled Brian. 

So they did, and the results were staggering: a 96% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2019 to 2022. That success led to science-based targets, carbon-neutral certification, and recognition from major agencies that ultimately drove new business. 

"It changed the company culture. OpenX was also the first company to be certified as a carbon-neutral company. Companies that we wanted to do business with, particularly the brands and the big agencies, took notice," shared Brian. What began as an efficiency play became a strategic differentiator. And it sparked a bigger idea. 

The birth of Alpine Project

After seeing firsthand how environmental leadership could drive growth, Brian launched Alpine Project to help other AdTech companies replicate that success. "We realized we could help companies future-proof their business and unlock new revenue opportunities through sustainability." 

He quickly discovered that knowing where to start isn't easy, especially when climate action comes wrapped in a confusing mix of acronyms and technical jargon. "We've got our own acronyms and vocabulary in advertising and AdTech, but this is now a whole new set of terminology that people need to understand." 

That's where Alpine Project comes in. They don't just do the work - they help clients understand it. Alpine Project specializes in assisting businesses in building environmental sustainability strategies that meet the highest global standards without slowing down business momentum. They bring the roadmap, expertise, and, just as important, industry fluency. Alpine understands the culture, quirks, and complexity of AdTech - and that makes all the difference. 

Getting your house in order: The Alpine Framework 

For most companies, the sustainability journey starts in the same place: measure, reduce, remove. Step one? A greenhouse gas inventory using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Alpine Project walks clients through data collection, third-party verification, and reporting, translating operational data into the universal language of carbon accounting - metric tons of CO2e. Once that baseline is set, companies can:

• Align with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)

• Explore carbon-neutral certification

• Identify opportunities for cost savings, efficiency gains, and deeper client alignment. 

Brian explained, "If you aren't even getting the basics underway by conducting that first greenhouse gas inventory report, then we really don't know what kind of impact decisions like green media products and green PMPs are going to make." 

Why climate strategy is just good business 

Alpine recently surveyed clients and partners who had launched climate action plans to understand better what's driving adoption. The results?

• Over 50% cited strategic differentiation as their primary motivation. 

• The second most common driver is culture and employee engagement. 

• Third: Compliance (with rapidly approaching regulations in California, New York, Illinois, and the European Union.) 

"​​The clients that we work with are starting to realize that sustainable practices are a nice-to-have now, but it's going to be a must-have very soon," stated Brian. It's not just about ESG reporting - it's about winning new clients, attracting top talent, and staying ahead of compliance curves that are already impacting brands and agencies downstream. 

But there's also a hidden benefit that many don't expect. "Some of our clients realize when they start to look at ways to reduce emissions, they find new ways to save costs and become a more efficient business," Brian noted.  "Cost savings and improving the bottom line isn't one of the benefits that we typically talk about." Sustainability isn't a trade-off. It's a smart business strategy. "If you can do the right thing while saving money, it's an absolute no-brainer."​

Building internal momentum 

One of the most powerful outcomes Alpine sees is the ripple effect. "I get really excited when we meet people who work for a company and have built and assembled this green team or climate action team. It's usually organically grown," says Brian,  "And then they start to get smarter on this - they get more educated on the subject matter and then pitch their senior leadership. And that's where some of the most exciting change starts to happen." 

Alpine provides the data, language, and structure to turn internal enthusiasm into real company action. From helping employees understand scope 3 emissions to launching that Net Zero journey, they've invested in long-term cultural change.  

Leading together

Sustainability isn't something one company can solve on its own. The real opportunity lies in cross-industry collaboration - bringing together agencies, platforms, measurement providers, and verification bodies to move toward shared standards. That's why Alpine actively supports industry initiatives like Ad Net Zero and other working groups. They help companies plug into the bigger picture - so everyone benefits from collective progress.  "We get our clients to do the work with real subject-matter experts who have done it for other sectors, get them on their journey and then teach them and their employees why this is important and how it can positively impact their business," Brian shared. 

The first step is closer than you think

Brian's advice for companies unsure where to begin is simple: start small, but start now. Form a green team, read up on the terminology, run your first emissions report. "When it comes to climate action," Brian says, "the playbooks have already been written. The protocols, standards, and frameworks are already out there. Alpine Project brings those subject-matter experts into the AdTech industry." 

If you're curious how sustainability can unlock new revenue, deepen client alignment, and future-proof your business, Brian and his team are ready to meet you where you are. 

Watch the full interview to hear more from Brian about how Alpine Project is helping reshape sustainability in AdTech, and follow them on LinkedIn for more updates and insights. And stay tuned - we'll soon be spotlighting a few AdTechs that are leading the way in sustainability, sharing their firsthand stories of impact, differentiation, and what this looks like in practice. 

Because in AdTech, sustainability isn't just about reporting. It's about results. And Alpine Project is helping companies get there - one step at a time.

Watch the full interview to hear Brian's expert advice and understand the nuances of how sustainability drives strategy:

Brian Murphy of Alpine Project sits down with Lauren Burke to talk all things sustainability and strategy in the AdTech industry.