The digital sector, despite its intangible nature, has a significant environmental impact. The use of energy to power data centers, communication networks, and the production and maintenance of electronic devices contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
To reduce the impact of digital life and its materials, various actions have been developed, some of which can be linked to the concept of digital decarbonization.
Decarbonization is a set of multifaceted approaches and strategies whose objective is to reduce the environmental footprint and contribute to a functional and sustainable future.
In the digital sector, decarbonization can be multifaceted. Initially, there are two main types of digital decarbonization: native and curative.
The first, the native digital decarbonization, is integrated right from the start in the process of making a digital product or service a reality.
In this scenario, every decision required to finalize the idea, for example the creation of a new application or a website, is guided by minimizing the environmental impact.
The result will be a product or a intrinsically sustainable digital service, with a carbon footprint reduced to a minimum from birth.
The second, the corrective digital decarbonization, is rather oriented towards reducing and/or offsetting the environmental impact of digital products and services that already exist or are in the process of being produced.
In this case, decarbonization plays a “purifier” role aimed at minimizing carbon emissions from digital products that already exist.
For curative decarbonization, it is important to establish minimum reduction goals that can range from a minimum of 20% up to the neutralization of the net environmental impact.
The adoption of a systemic approach taking into account the environmental implications and the life cycle of each product is therefore necessary in both cases.
La production of carbon-free digital services is therefore based on various methodological criteria:
Evaluation of the consumption and energy efficiency of the digital product.
Analysis of technologies, interfaces, hosting and uses.
Maximize the efficiency and sustainability of an online presence through data recovery and optimization
The integration of sustainable materials and partners in the design and management of websites.
techniques to streamline workflows, reduce costs, and maximize results.
Another important distinction when it comes to decarbonization is the technical decarbonization And the universal decarbonization.
The first, technical decarbonization, is based on targeted techniques for reducing the energy consumption of a digital product or service.
Each visit to a company's website has an energy cost, and therefore a carbon footprint. For example, a web page that consumes 30 units of energy per 100 visits, with 1000 visits per month, produces a consumption of 300 units.
Today, it is possible to reduce this consumption without changing the design or content of the page. Thanks to targeted technical optimization, it is possible to reduce the overall energy consumption of a web page by up to 66%.
Native decarbonization represents an innovative approach in the digital sector, where sustainability is integrated from the initial design of products and services.
By integrating sustainability by design, businesses can reduce their environmental impact, innovate and strengthen their competitiveness.
Native digital decarbonization involves integrating environmental considerations at every stage of the development process, from design to implementation.
Reducing the carbon footprint is not an afterthought, but a guiding principle.
The aim of this promising approach is to create solutions that are intrinsically sustainable, with minimal environmental impact for businesses.
By adopting a native decarbonization approach, it is possible to create sites that are both efficient and environmentally friendly, thus contributing to a more sustainable digital future.
Design simple and intuitive user interfaces to minimize interactions.
Reducing the impact of digital services across the lifecycle.
Access digital information and services equally and effectively.
Corrective digital decarbonization represents a curative approach aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of existing digital products and services. Unlike native decarbonization, which integrates sustainability by design, corrective decarbonization occurs after implementation.
It complements native decarbonization by making it possible to correct past practices and build a more sustainable digital and digital future.
To initiate a corrective decarbonization process, three pillars are essential: audit to assess the current footprint, optimization to reduce superfluous consumption, and awareness-raising to engage all actors in a sustainable approach.
Analyze energy performance and identify areas for improvement.
Optimize what already exists to reduce environmental impact.
Access digital information and services equally and effectively.
Digital marketing that consumes less is marketing that costs less.
Less energy consumption is an active contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
Effective digital marketing achieves its goals with minimal consumption.
Green marketing actions can increase the visibility of the site and attract an audience that is sensitive to environmental issues.
Discover how digital decarbonization can make your online presence more sustainable and responsible.