When creating content for a website, sustainability can often be overlooked but with one Google search contributing almost 0.2 grams of CO2 to the atmosphere according to Search Engine Land, there has been a greater spotlight placed on the digital world and its impact on climate change.
Here we outline some of the key reasons to focus on your website’s sustainability in 2024 and how it can contribute to your wider sustainability goals, in addition to actionable steps you can take to reduce the impact of your digital business activities.
The Environmental Impact of Digital Technology
Digital technology, including websites, has a significant environmental footprint, contributing to climate change through energy consumption and carbon emissions. The lifecycle of technology products further exacerbates this impact.
Energy Consumption
- The operation of servers, data centers, and networking infrastructure to support websites consumes vast amounts of energy. This energy often comes from non-renewable sources, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions.
- In 2020, data centers globally consumed about 200 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, constituting approximately 1% of total electricity demand, as per a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Projections indicate a potential tripling of this figure by 2030, exacerbating the sector’s environmental footprint.
Carbon Footprint
- The carbon footprint of digital technology is closely tied to its energy consumption.
- A study by researchers at Purdue University revealed that the carbon emissions associated with internet use doubled from 2007 to 2017, reaching approximately 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- The carbon footprint of individual digital activities can be significant- for example, streaming a high-definition video for one hour can produce up to 0.9 kilograms of CO2 emissions, equivalent to driving almost 2 miles in an average car.
Life Cycle Impact
- The production, distribution, and disposal of digital devices contribute to environmental degradation.
- Manufacturing processes for electronic devices are resource-intensive and often rely on non-renewable energy sources.
- The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 reported that approximately 53.6 million metric tons of electronic waste were generated worldwide in 2019, with only 17.4% of it being recycled.
- Improper disposal of electronic waste leads to pollution and resource depletion, exacerbating environmental concerns.
Benefits of a Sustainable Website
Adopting sustainability measures for websites not only benefits the environment but also yields advantages for the business or organization behind them.
Improved Brand Purpose and Trust
- In an era where consumers increasingly seek purpose-driven brands, showcasing a commitment to sustainability through a green website becomes paramount.
- By aligning with their corporate purpose and values, businesses can bolster their brand purpose and cultivate trust with environmentally conscious consumers.
- Demonstrating a genuine commitment to sustainability not only enhances brand reputation but also fosters long-term relationships with stakeholders who share similar values.
Cost Savings from Efficient Resource Use
- By streamlining resource utilization, businesses can lower energy consumption and operational expenses, thereby advancing their corporate purpose of responsible resource management while achieving financial efficiency.
- According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), optimizing data center energy efficiency can result in cost savings of up to 20-30%.
- A report by the World Wide Web Foundation highlights that sustainable web design practices, such as optimizing code, reducing server requests and optimizing image sizes, can lead to significant reductions in energy consumption and operational costs.
Enhanced User Experience
- Sustainable web design principles often prioritize efficiency, resulting in faster loading times and improved usability.
- Faster loading times can significantly impact user engagement and satisfaction. For instance, Google research indicates that as page load time increases from one second to three seconds, the probability of bounce increases by 32%.
- By prioritizing sustainability-driven web design principles, businesses can enhance user experience and reduce bounce rates, leading to increased customer retention and conversion rates.
Alignment with Corporate Purpose Goals
- By embedding environmental responsibility into digital initiatives, organizations can demonstrate their commitment to their brand purpose and contribute to global efforts to combat climate change.
- Integrating sustainability into website development aligns with broader corporate purpose objectives, attracting investors and stakeholders who prioritize environmental responsibility.
Practical Steps to Reduce Your Website’s Carbon Footprint
Developing a more sustainable website can be a great tool in your sustainability marketing strategy if you are looking to increase your authority in this area. Here are some practical steps you can take to start to reduce the carbon impact of your website:
1. Choose Eco-friendly Hosting
- Selecting a hosting provider with a good track record when it comes to sustainability is a great place to start. There are a number of green hosting providers that you can check out if you are looking to make the switch.
2. Simplify Your Design
- If possible, embracing a more minimalist design when it comes to animations, colours and design is a great way to increase the sustainability of your website; just be sure to chat to the branding team before making any wholesale changes!
3. Shrink Images and Videos
- Reducing image file size without impacting on the look is a quick win when it comes to making a more eco-friendly website, formats like WebP for images, you’re getting the best of both worlds – quality and efficiency.
4. Cut Down on Requests
- Merge files where you can (think CSS and JavaScript) to reduce the amount of requests back to the server from your website.
5. Cache It Up
- Make your site remember its visitors by setting up caching. This way, repeat guests won’t have to reload everything from scratch, saving data and energy.
6. Rethink Third-party Scripts
- Take a hard look at external scripts and widgets. If they’re not essential, maybe it’s time to let them go. Fewer scripts mean faster load times and less strain on resources. Always make sure the third-party scripts you remove are not needed of course!
7. Tidy Up Your Code
- A clean website code is a happy one. Get rid of anything unnecessary in your code and this will help you develop a leaner and greener website. If you engage with a web-dev or other type of digital agency, always check with them to make sure you do not remove important code.
8. Embrace Dark Mode and Accessibility
- Designing with a dark mode option can save energy on devices with certain screen types. Plus, ensuring your site is accessible to all is not only good karma but often aligns with energy-saving practices.
Make sure you measure performance over time
There are a variety of online tools that can be used to benchmark and measure performance over time when it comes to website sustainability. Tools can pinpoint specific elements like large images or unnecessary plugins that are dragging down your website’s efficiency, taking advantage of them will help you work out if you are actually going in the right direction. Reducing the impact of your website is a great thing to do, just make sure you do it with your business goals in mind.
Don’t sacrifice functionality or user experience in the name of being green. Use the data from your chosen tools to find the right balance between environmental impact and business objectives. By focusing on website sustainability in 2024, you’ll be making a positive impact on the planet, enhancing user experience, and potentially saving your business money. It’s a win-win for everyone.
