“Sustainable web design” might appear to be an unusual subject. The internet is essentially a collection of code, isn't it? And because it doesn’t occupy any ‘space’, how can it influence our physical reality? 

The internet undeniably influences our world significantly. It consumes a significant amount of electricity, adds to pollution, and impacts your business operations.

In the upcoming sections, we will discuss the impact of your website on your carbon footprint, the factors that contribute to it, and the steps you can take to minimise it.

1. Before we discuss carbon footprints, it's essential to first address the internet.

Picture yourself looking to borrow a book from a library. You stroll down the street, enter the building, approach the front desk, and enquire if they have War and Peace available. The friendly librarian at the counter requests you to hold on for a moment while he checks on something.

The book is available, but it's quite large and heavy, causing the librarian to take some time to return it, stopping occasionally to catch his breath.

Finally, he returns to the desk and places the book on the counter. That's it; the book is now yours; feel free to take it home. It may sound surprising, but this entire process closely resembles the experience of accessing a website on your mobile device.

The library functions as a data hub, housing countless books, much like the multitude of websites saved on servers. When you search for ‘who won the football last night’ on Google or type in a URL, your device is essentially taking a trip to the library and enquiring if they have that specific book. 

Similar to books, certain websites are large and cumbersome, requiring time to reach you, while others are sleek and efficient, allowing for almost immediate access.

How is this related to your carbon footprint? 

Be it physical books or digital data, the processes of storing, transmitting, and receiving information consume energy. The energy that fuels our computers, servers, and satellites also produces greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
The positive aspect is that you have the power to take action.

2. To begin with, let's examine storage.

Books are housed in libraries, while websites are stored in data centres. Both require energy to ensure operations are seamless and everything functions efficiently.

The total electricity consumption of data centres worldwide accounts for almost 1% of the global electricity usage.

To begin minimising your digital carbon footprint, ensure that your data centre operates on clean energy sources such as wind or solar power. If they fail to meet your needs, think about exploring options with a different provider.

3. Retrieving books requires effort, and so does retrieving websites.

Recall how the librarian had to make the journey from the desk to the shelves to retrieve the book? In our scenario, the greater the distance of the book from the desk, the more time it will take for the librarian to deliver it to you.

This holds true for websites as well. If your website is hosted in a data centre located thousands of miles from your customers, it has quite a distance to cover. The farther the distance, the more energy consumed, and the longer the duration required.

Another effective approach to enhance your website’s carbon footprint is by relocating it nearer to your customers.

4. Data also has weight 

When assessing the carbon footprint of your website, one of the final aspects we evaluate is the amount of content it contains.

Referring back to our librarian example, he would quickly fetch a copy of James and the Giant Peach without any delay. It’s compact and easy to carry, with a limited number of pages. However, it would require him significantly more time to transport a large, heavy collection of encyclopaedias.

The more you pack into your website, the bulkier it becomes, leading to increased power consumption for your phone or laptop to load it. To minimise your impact, streamline your website.

5. Future Actions 

Your website contributes to carbon emissions, but there are effective methods to minimise its impact. What are the next steps? 

In the upcoming articles, we will discuss practical steps you can take to choose an eco-friendly hosting provider, enhance your website's accessibility for your customers, and optimise your website for better performance and efficiency. 

For the time being, consider visiting WebsiteCarbon.com to discover the potential impact you can create by making your website more environmentally friendly.