The digital is now part of our daily lives. More and more people prefer to use internet services rather than physically go to offices or stores. And this number is destined to grow. As indicated by the site DataReportal, by the end of 2023, around two-thirds of the world’s population will regularly use the internet.
What impact is all this having on the environment?
CO2 produced by the Web – what do the data say
The data are clear: the internet has a high environmental cost. The CO2 produced by the web is equivalent to that produced by large countries. If the web were a country, it would rank fourth in terms of emissions after China, United States, and India. And this already alarming figure is destined to grow. In the coming years, the technology industry could consume around 20% of the world’s energy production.
But how does the web pollute?
Digital pollution – what is it about?
Since the web is an intangible element, it’s not clear to everyone what makes it so polluting.
All operations we perform on the web, even those most trivial, have a small environmental impact. The reason lies in the fact that the machines processing them require a certain amount of energy to function. A web search can produce up to 10 grams of CO2, and about 8.5 billion searches are performed every day. A mail that weighs even a single megabyte produces around 20 grams of CO2. This means that by summing up all the emails sent worldwide in a year, we arrive at an amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to that produced by about 7 million cars.
This is why one of the main sources of pollution are the huge data centers where big tech concentrates the servers necessary for web infrastructure operation.
Even simply browsing a site produces CO2 due to the connections established with the server hosting the website we are visiting.
There exist online calculation tools like demo Karma Metrix to know what level of CO2 is produced by a specific page and estimate the energy consumption of a website. Just enter the URL of the page you are interested in, and within seconds we will know its environmental impact.
We have calculated the impact of Hosting4Agency’s home page:
It is precisely to contain this situation that initiatives like the “Pact for Climate Neutrality of Data Centers”, which 25 companies and 17 associations adhere to, have been created in collaboration with the European Commission, with the goal of making these infrastructures zero-impact by 2030.
But it’s not just data centers that can do something. Web specialists can also contribute, and Hosting4Agency is an example of this.
Thanks to some small precautions, it is possible to reduce (actually, eliminate!) the environmental impact of a website page, just like those of Hosting4Agency.
Here are four tips for increasing the environmental sustainability of a website by reducing its energy consumption.
4 Tips to Make a Site More Green
1. Choose a green hosting
To run their structure, Green Web Hosting use renewable energy sources. We are proud to be part of this category.
Hosting4Agency provides leading-edge green hosting that is fully carbon neutral. Our green servers are located within the EU territory and are exclusively powered by renewable energy sources, hydroelectric and wind power.
This choice allows us to eliminate carbon emissions and support the environment with our professionalism. By choosing to host your website with us, you are actively contributing to making the digital world more sustainable and preserving the environment for future generations.
2. Reduce the number of resources used and optimize images
Images, videos, and all media significantly increase the loading time of a page. The more numerous and larger they are, the more data need to be transferred, and the more energy will be required. That’s why before uploading an image or video, it is important to ask yourself if it is necessary. This can help you understand the impact of your choices.
This is a simple trick that all those who actively create content for the web can follow to optimize their sites, consume less energy, and produce less CO2.
Environmental sustainability should be a priority guiding our daily decisions, and Hosting4Agency is the reference point for anyone looking for green and responsible hosting.
At the same time, it’s important to choose green hosts to promote the use of renewable energy sources.
Are you a web or communication agency seeking a reliable and ethical partner for your online presence? We have some proposals just for you: find your ideal plan!
For any further information, you can visit our green website.
Join us in our commitment to a cleaner digital future.
