Digital Sustainability — The invisible environmental crisis (Part 1)
If the internet was a country, it would be the 5th largest polluter in the world.
When we think about sustainability and our carbon footprint, you’d be excused for not immediately jumping to digital activities. Just about everyone would instinctively think of recycling, using public transport or turning appliances off. Our world and climate leaders are constantly talking about renewable energy and global imports/exports. So why is the digital aspect so important — if nobody is talking about it?
What is Digital Sustainability?
Digital sustainability is all about reducing carbon emissions within the digital world. From sending an email to managing a data centre — there are many different aspects within this space that contribute to our digital carbon footprint (DCF). 5.44 billion people access the internet - around 67.1% of the global population - and by definition, have a digital footprint. I’d be surprised if even a fraction consider the daily impact their usage contributes to global carbon emissions.
By understanding the impacts our digital activities have on carbon emissions, we can upskill and work to reduce where we can.
The issue engrained within us is that our brains comprehend tangible items far better than theoretical. This is due to the fact it’s much easier to visualise concepts that can be seen seen physically. Knowing that 100,000 people have watched a video is difficult to picture on its own, but if we frame that as a capacity crowd at the Camp Nou football stadium, that becomes much easier (at least for those who have seen the stadium in person or on TV, but you get the idea). So when we say that sending an email contributes 0.3g CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), it’s hard to picture that transfer compared to throwing away a plastic bag.
I must caveat this by highlighting it’s incredibly difficult to picture actual carbon emissions, but we can associate physical items with the concept - and of course, the impacts of climate change we face daily (like snowstorms during Mexican summer).
A global issue
Going back to the analogy of viewing the internet’s emissions in comparison to countries, it’s important to highlight this is an area we all contribute to. Governments across the world are aware of the climate emergency and are working to combat it together (think COP) and in policies within their own countries. This is a highly debated subject in its own right, so I won’t attempt to oversimplify anything here. What I can highlight is that individuals may face different challenges depending on the environments they operate in. For example, someone living in the UK with a typical ‘stable lifestyle’ may find it easier to purchase a more optimal device than someone in the developing world. Additionally, those who may be under stricter digital regulations set by their government may find it harder to optimise their workflows in comparison to those with more freedom. However, the onus lies on the individual to investigate how they can optimise their own digital environments.
The Iceberg
A great way to visualise the different items that make up our digital carbon emissions is the iceberg concept. For those who don’t know what this is — we can view an iceberg from two perspectives: the smaller part, which is visible and sits above the water, and the larger, hidden beneath the water line. The idea is that there is a greater impact within those items you don’t see.
Above the water
The obvious items here are the physical that power our digital world. Starting with our personal devices, they contribute through manufacturing, charging, and the various efficiencies within the hardware. The newest devices have better processors which action items faster, and usually do this quicker while using less power.
We also have larger items and collections such as servers or data centres. Under the same view — manufacturing, charging and hardware efficiency multiply those impacts on a larger scale due to the sheer cost of building and maintaining them.
We can also consider the ‘end-of-life’ aspect of our devices too. The difference between discarding and recycling them can be quite impactful, especially when we consider the impact cobalt and lithium batteries have as finite resources. As 85% of a single smartphone’s carbon footprint comes from manufacturing, recycling can help to reduce this number greatly — if not eliminating it completely by passing it on to someone else.
Below the water
So what lies in the unseen? It’s quite simple — transfers and processes. Our devices are the conduits that create emissions, but it’s those transfers that drive it. Every time we send an email, visit a website or open a file, we are triggering devices to consume energy. This is where the largest opportunities for users to reduce consumptions are.
The majority of us will not have any involvement in building or maintaining devices, but we will interact with them continuously throughout our day. As I mentioned before — every action, no matter how large or small, is contributing to our DCF. That provides an opportunity at almost every instance to reduce it.
What’s next?
This is the first blog in an initial four part series investigating Digital Sustainability. You’re now aware of the invisible crisis we all contribute to and the ways in which we do so. Over the next few weeks, we will explore the subject further.
Continue by reading:
Investigating the different attitudes we can embrace to improve our approach towards sustainability.
Learn how you can optimise your digital workflow to be more sustainable, with a focus on those working within product development.
Today’s Challenges & Tomorrow’s Solutions
A thought-piece investigating the challenges and breakthroughs we are experiencing now, and what the future may hold.
