Is using the internet bad for the planet?
From scrolling social media to watching TV via a streaming service, everything we do online has a hidden environmental impact. We investigated the scale of the problem
It may come as no surprise to learn that, globally, we spent double the amount of time online in 2020 than we did before the pandemic†. While the surge in our online activity may have helped to keep us entertained, in touch and (for those whose kitchen table became their office) working throughout lockdowns, it will also have been responsible for an increase in carbon emissions.
This is because our online activity requires power – not just the electricity needed to power and recharge our devices, but also the energy to run the huge facilities packed with web servers (called data centres) that are the nerve centre of the internet. Unless that electricity comes from renewable sources, it releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Our time spent online doubled in 2020
SMARTER WAYS TO USE TECH
While our online activity accounts for just 3.7% of global greenhouse emissions, says Dr Matthew Forshaw, senior lecturer in data science at Newcastle University, there are some simple changes
to the way we use the internet that will still be beneficial for the environment. ‘Rather than watching high-definition video by default, consider what quality you need, and adjust,’ he suggests. ‘Watching in standard definition is estimated to reduce emissions of video streaming by up to 90%. And the carbon footprint of web calls can be reduced by 96% if you switch off video.’
Dr Forshaw goes on to point out, though, that video conferencing could still be a more eco-friendly option than meeting face-to-face – for example, if doing so would involve significant travel.
Andie Stephens, associate director at the Carbon Trust, echoes this. While he says that everything we can do to reduce our carbon footprints is important, he adds: ‘Watching a one-hour video over the internet has a smaller carbon footprint than eating a beefburger and is
40 times smaller than driving a car 15 miles. So it is still significant, but relatively small.’