Digital Carbon Footprint

1. What Is the Digital Carbon Footprint?

The digital carbon footprint includes all emissions of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases generated by our digital activity — from sending emails and browsing the internet to manufacturing devices and powering large data centers. In practice, this means that seemingly harmless actions such as using a computer, tablet, or smartphone carry a real environmental cost. For example, an average person sending and receiving more than 2,500 emails per year generates around ten kilograms of CO₂e from this activity alone.

It is important to highlight two aspects: the energy consumed when using the internet, devices, and online services, and the emissions produced during the manufacturing of equipment and IT infrastructure. In many cases, manufacturing and delivering digital devices generates significantly more emissions than everyday use. For instance, a laptop used for four years can have a production-related carbon footprint of several hundred kilograms of CO₂, while its operational footprint is much smaller.

Understanding the digital carbon footprint becomes crucial as more of our work and daily life moves online. As cloud services, remote work tools, and streaming platforms become central to modern life, their share of global emissions grows, making digital sustainability an increasingly relevant challenge.

“Every email sent costs at least 4 g of CO₂e”

2. Major Sources of Emissions in the Digital World

In the digital landscape, carbon emissions come not only from powering devices but also from manufacturing hardware, transferring data, running server farms, and maintaining cloud infrastructure. For IT equipment, only around a quarter of its total carbon footprint comes from actual usage, while roughly three-quarters are generated during manufacturing and distribution.

When it comes to infrastructure, data centers powered by non-renewable energy sources have a particularly significant impact. In regions where electricity production heavily relies on fossil fuels, the digital carbon footprint of an average user may be dramatically higher than in countries with cleaner energy systems.

Time spent online, data transfer, video calls, and streaming all contribute to energy consumption and associated emissions. Some digital operations are especially energy-intensive, such as cryptocurrency mining, where a single transaction may require an amount of energy equivalent to several days of household electricity consumption.

“Using a laptop for four years generates around 72–96 kg of CO₂, while its production alone accounts for 309 kg of CO₂.”

3. Why This Concerns All of Us

Although digital activity might seem less impactful than transport or heavy industry, the scale of global digitalization means that even “small” actions accumulate into significant emissions. Within the IT sector, a growing share of professionals declare they would prefer employers with clear strategies to reduce environmental impact. Many workers also expect technology companies to adopt real, measurable environmental initiatives instead of limiting themselves to marketing declarations.

However, only a modest portion of tech companies currently implement environmentally friendly practices, such as powering their server facilities with renewable energy or offering low-impact hosting services. This gap between expectations and reality indicates that the digital sector still has important progress to make.

Consumers, regulators, and employees increasingly treat digital ecology as a meaningful challenge rather than a trend. For individuals, understanding one’s digital carbon footprint is the first step toward reducing it in practical and achievable ways.

“Six out of ten IT professionals say they would be more likely to apply to a company with a clear strategy for reducing its environmental impact.”

4. How You Can Reduce Your Digital Carbon Footprint

Individual decisions about device use and internet habits may seem insignificant, but collectively they can make a substantial difference. Simple steps include turning off devices instead of leaving them in standby mode, using power-saving features, and extending the lifespan of equipment through repairs, upgrades, and careful maintenance.

Reducing data transfer is another effective approach. When possible, switch from video to audio, delete unnecessary files, disable auto-play, and unsubscribe from unread newsletters. Every stored photo, message, or file consumes energy — often across multiple servers — contributing to emissions.

Choosing digital service providers committed to sustainability can also make a difference. Options include cloud services powered by renewable energy, environmentally friendly hosting, and IT solutions optimized for energy efficiency. Conscious choices not only reduce personal carbon footprints but also increase demand for greener technologies.

“Delete unnecessary messages, duplicate photos, and failed video recordings. The more files we store, the larger the carbon footprint we leave behind.”