How to Reduce Your Digital Carbon Footprint with Simple, Impactful Changes
Terri Witherden
Terri is a Digital Designer helping Conscious Businesses connect with their ideal audience through brand design, content and marketing.
It’s not something we often think about, but there’s a real carbon cost to our time spent online. From the devices we use to the energy that powers them—and the massive data centres keeping the internet running—our digital lives come with environmental consequences.
Of course, going digital can help reduce our carbon footprint in some ways. Renting a digital movie instead of buying a DVD wrapped in non-recyclable plastic, or editing documents online instead of printing multiple copies, are smart, sustainable choices.
But here’s the catch: our growing online activity is estimated to account for 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions—a figure that’s expected to double by 2025.
While energy efficiency in data centres has improved and cloud providers are making progress by turning to renewables or carbon offsetting, our increased demand for streaming, emailing, and sharing is still pushing emissions upward. The good news? There are simple things you can do to reduce your digital carbon footprint.
Send Fewer Emails
We’ve all joked about “the meeting that could’ve been an email.” But how about emails that could’ve been nothing at all?
Each email you send emits around 4g of CO₂e—more if there’s an attachment or image involved. That might not sound like much, but multiply that by the billions of emails sent daily, and it adds up quickly.
Small actions can make a big difference. Consider unsubscribing from newsletters you never read, and think twice before sending a “thanks” or a smiley face as a reply.
Fun fact: If every adult in the UK sent just one less “thank you” email, it could save 16,433 tonnes of carbon a year—the same as taking 3,334 diesel cars off the road. (BBC Future)
Rethink Video Streaming
Video content is booming—and so are the emissions that come with it. Video now accounts for 80% of all online data transfer, with 60% of that from streaming platforms like YouTube. (DW)
In 2018 alone, video streaming generated around 300 million tonnes of CO₂—equivalent to the emissions of a country the size of Spain, across all sectors.
With autoplay features and short-form content encouraging us to watch more than ever, reducing video consumption can be tricky. But one effective step is to download videos instead of streaming repeatedly, which pulls data from servers just once.
Choose Green Website Hosting
If you run a website, blog, or online business, where you host it matters.
Data centres that host your content often rely on fossil fuels and consume huge amounts of energy and water for cooling. But greener hosting options are gaining traction—many powered by 100% renewable energy and available at competitive prices.
They’re not always mainstream providers, so you may need to do a little research. A great place to start is Make Hay, a London-based green web hosting company.
Choosing an eco-friendly host is a behind-the-scenes switch that can make a big sustainability impact.
The Bottom Line
We’re not here to add to your eco-anxiety. But awareness is the first step toward action. When you understand the hidden carbon costs of your digital habits, you can make smarter, more conscious choices—without needing to go fully offline.
Track Your Digital Carbon Footprint with The Climate App
Imagine being able to track your carbon footprint and compare it with your friends and family—not to compete, but to inspire action. Our team is developing The Climate App to make that possible. It’s about making climate-conscious choices simple, visible, and motivating.