What is the environmental impact of digital technology?

‍Think digital technology is purely virtual? Think again. From streaming videos to sending emails, our online actions leave a very real ecological footprint—and it’s growing fast.

If the internet were a country, its carbon footprint would be two to three times larger than France's.

[Source: GreenIT.fr]

‍

That’s how significant the environmental impact of digital technology has become.

In this article, we’ll break down:

• The key sources of digital pollution,
• The most energy-intensive digital activities,
• And the practical steps you can take today to reduce your digital carbon footprint—both at home and in business.
  ‍

Why the Environmental Impact of Digital Technology Matters

We rely on digital tools for everything—remote work, online shopping, video streaming, and cloud storage. While convenient, these technologies depend on a massive physical infrastructure that consumes energy, water, and raw materials.

‍

According to Frédéric Bordage (author of Towards Digital Sobriety), the global digital ecosystem includes:

• 75 million servers
• 34 billion user devices
• 1.5 billion communication networks

This infrastructure is expanding at a staggering rate—projected to grow 5x from 2010 to 2025—and that growth comes with a significant environmental cost.

‍

The Real-World Environmental Costs of a "Virtual" World

Despite its ethereal language (digitization, Cloud, virtual reality etc.), digital technology has physical implications so it makes sense that there are consequences for the planet and human beings.

‍

To measure the environmental impact of digital technology, we need to consider all the effects of a digital product life cycle:

‍

• Mining of rare earth elements,
• Massive energy for data transmission and cooling,
• Water for manufacturing and operations,
• And ultimately, the generation of e-waste.

This ecological impact, also known as digital pollution, includes the following:

‍

• Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Water overconsumption
• Ecosystem pollution
• Biodiversity loss
• Mountains of electronic waste (e-waste)

Digital technology is responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Digital technology’s share of global GHG emissions is rising sharply and could double by 2025 to reach 8% according to the Shift Project’s report on the environmental impact of digital technology and 5G rollout.

‍

It has become more crucial than ever for all digital players and their users to address this issue and explore solutions to reduce their digital footprint.

‍

This involves moving towards more restraint in our use of digital technology: which is what digital sobriety is all about, particularly through sustainable practices tailored for global businesses and organizations of all sizes. To bring you up to speed, we wanted to look at the bigger picture to better understand the impact of our digital usage and consumption, as well as looking at ways to start taking action.

‍

Which Environmental Indicators Matter Most?

Extensive studies and research have been carried out in this field, which we used as the basis for this article. However, while these figures can help grasp the global nature of the problem and take ownership of the key issues, it’s all relative and they need to be qualified.

‍

Indeed, it’s hard to get data to quantify the number of devices in operation, for example. The estimates used below are from the Greenit.fr Environmental Footprint of the Digital World report. They are based on a life cycle inventory analysis using sales and lifespan figures and data collection from public and private companies.

‍

The 3 types of digital pollution

To understand the different sources of digital pollution in more detail, we have used the different categories of digital equipment as listed by Greenit.fr:

1. The environmental impact of digital technology: the high carbon footprint of terminals

Ingeniously designed, lightweight, practical and high-performance objects… which actually hide a totally different reality. Before landing in our pockets or on our desks, our smartphones, laptops and all other types of digital terminals have traveled thousands of miles!

‍

They started in mines (extraction of rare earth elements for their components), then were assembled in another corner of the planet and finally transported and distributed to their final point of sale. All of this requires a significant amount of materials and fossil fuels.

‍

Here are some numbers for smartphones [according to ADEME]:
‍

• A smartphone contains 70+ materials and 50 metals, including gold and tantalum.
• Only 20 of these materials are recyclable.
• 75% of a smartphone's carbon footprint comes from manufacturing.
• 62% of phones are replaced while still functioning.

A few numbers for laptops:

‍

Depending on the model, manufacturing and transporting a laptop emits between 160 and 480 kg of CO2, not including its use. Making a laptop requires nearly 600kg of materials.

According to ADEME, digital equipment accounts for 47% of the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions and its manufacturing process has the most impact, more than its use. A sector that makes everything digital, but whose material and energy requirements are gigantic!

‍

2. The environmental impact of digital technology: undersea network infrastructure

Did you know that 99% of internet data travels via undersea cables, not satellites?

No, the internet does not float in the air! We can only connect to the internet thanks to a vast network of undersea cables. This invisible network buried in the depths of the oceans and seas of the world represents millions of kilometers (the longest cable spans nearly 20,000km!).

‍

99% of communications and data exchanges between continents pass through these undersea cables (and only 1% by satellite), which cover very long distances. Let’s look at the example of an email: this email travels on average 15,000 km from the place where it was sent to the data center hosting its mailbox!

‍

To visualize and understand the entire network infrastructure used to transport all the data on the internet, the submarinecablemap.com site is a captivating resource.

‍

What with its manufacture, transport, installation and maintenance, all this equipment is bound to have an environmental impact. Cables are laid at the bottom of the ocean by cable-laying ships, which use large amounts of energy.

‍

According to ADEME, all these cables in the network infrastructures represent 28% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by our use of digital technology.

‍

3. The environmental impact of digital technology: gigantic energy-intensive data centers

Data centers are huge buildings, such as hangars, which are data processing and storage centers located all over the world. More specifically, they house microcomputers and hard drives in large drawer cabinets that store very large volumes of data: emails, photos, videos, games, and business data etc. In the event of hardware failure, the information is copied on several hard drives, to ensure it is backed up.‍

‍

These facilities occupy very large surface areas (the largest data center in the world, in China, has a surface area of 1 million square meters!) and require considerable resources for their construction and operation, electricity and cooling systems.‍

‍

Data centers power everything from Netflix to your company’s cloud documents.
‍

• A large center can use as much electricity as a city of 50,000 people.
• 40% of their energy goes to cooling systems.
• They account for about 25% of digital carbon emissions.

‍

Often singled out as the main culprits responsible for the impact of digital technology, data centers ultimately account for only 25% of greenhouse gas emissions from digital technology (according to ADEME again).

‍

The digital carbon footprint – France and worldwide

The digital environmental footprint -worldwide
In 2019, worldwide, digital technology represented:

‍

• 34 billion devices in use
• 223 million tonnes of equipment

The global digital footprint compared to the global human footprint (terminal manufacturing phase – manufacturing phase of all equipment) is as follows :

‍

• 4.2% primary energy consumption or 6,800 TWh (30 % – 35%)
• 3.8% greenhouse gases, or 1,400 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (39% – 44%).

[Source: What is the environmental footprint of digital technology in France?, GreenIT.fr]

‍

The digital environmental footprint -France

In 2020, in France, digital technology represented:

• 631 million pieces of equipment used by 58 million people
• 7 million tonnes of material (excluding the physical network core).

☝️ In France, energy consumption during the use phase (from equipment delivery to its disposal) is less carbon-intensive than in the rest of the world. Hence the differences in impacts between the manufacturing and use phases.

‍

In 2020, the French digital footprint compared to France’s total carbon footprint (terminal manufacturing phase – manufacturing phase of all equipment) was as follows :

‍

• 6.2% primary energy consumption or 180 TWh of primary energy (37 % -64%),
• 3.2% global warming or 24 million tonnes of CO2e (76% -86%).

[Source: What is the environmental footprint of digital technology in France?, GreenIT.fr]

‍

Focus on: the impact of video streaming on environmental balance

Digital usage continues to rise, largely driven by online video consumption. According to a study by Sandvine, video streaming made up nearly 54% of global internet traffic on communication networks in 2021. Platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video lead the sector, representing more than half of total streaming traffic worldwide (source: Statista).

‍

Additionally, PlayStation downloads account for a notable 2.7% of global traffic. To put it in perspective, downloading 100GB of data is roughly equivalent to streaming 14 hours of 4K video.

‍

‍

As Arcep highlights in its report on the state of the internet in France, “Video content also appears across various traffic categories, including social media (12.69% of global traffic), online gaming (5.67%), and messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Messenger (5.35%).”

‍

The report outlines multiple sources of video consumption, including live or linear streaming, replay and catch-up TV, subscription video on demand (SVOD), social media video, video calls via instant messaging, and the widespread use of video advertising.

‍

In 2022, video streaming continued to dominate global data usage on the internet.

‍

And in terms of impact? Video consumes a lot of energy, because the size of the files watched contains much more digital data than a photo: this requires more energy to store them on servers. Not to mention that most online videos are now high-definition which makes them even bigger.

‍

A Few Numbers That Highlight the Problem

Online video streaming has a significant environmental impact. Currently, video consumption accounts for nearly 80% of total internet bandwidth usage. Globally, video streaming services emit approximately 300 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. This level of digital pollution matches the carbon footprint of Spain and contributes to nearly 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

‍

Video-on-demand (VOD) platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video alone create emissions similar to those of Chile. The growing demand for video data requires substantial energy, with fossil fuels still making up a staggering 85% of the global energy mix as of 2018. These figures highlight the urgent need to address the environmental cost of video streaming.

‍

Moving Towards Digital Sobriety

At Wedia, we strongly advocate for digital sobriety, helping reduce the digital impact of both our work and that of our clients. This means making conscious, eco-friendly digital choices and encouraging restraint when producing or consuming digital content.

‍

Our goal isn’t to preach but to partner with businesses and marketers to minimize their digital carbon footprint through practical steps. By adopting a mindset of digital sustainability, we can collectively make a difference.

‍

5 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Digital Footprint

You can take small steps to live more sustainably in the digital world. Here are a few actionable tips to get started today:

‍

• Extend the life of your devices – Repair instead of replacing gadgets to reduce e-waste.
• Choose refurbished technology – Buy second-hand tech instead of new when upgrading.
• Stream smarter – Limit high-resolution video streaming, particularly on mobile networks.
• Use eco-friendly search engines – Reduce emissions by using platforms like Ecosia, and minimize unnecessary emails.
• Optimize your business’s digital content – Audit and streamline your digital assets to eliminate redundancy.

‍

Digital Asset Management (DAM): A Game-Changer for Businesses

Businesses can drastically cut their digital carbon footprint with solutions like Wedia's Digital Asset Management (DAM). A DAM system helps streamline content storage, reduces digital waste, and improves marketing efficiency. By optimizing how teams create and manage digital files, businesses can align with their eco-friendly digital practices goals.

‍

Book a demo today and check out Wedia's DAM Solution

‍

The Future Lies in Digital Sustainability

The environmental impact of digital technology is undeniable, but it’s manageable with greater awareness and intentional action. Businesses and individuals alike hold the power to reduce their digital footprint and pave the way for a sustainable, low-impact digital future.

‍

🌱 Take the next step toward digital sustainability today by choosing smarter, more responsible online habits. Together, we can make conscious digital choices that benefit both the environment and future generations.

‍