How to Reduce Your Website’s Carbon Footprint?

What is Sustainable Web Design?

It is worth stating that many people have noted a sharp rise in their computer and internet usage during the global pandemic, in which we are all currently residing and working. Everyone is on the internet much more often, be it quizzes on Zoom, singing classes, seminars, or family calls.

Most people do not realize that these activities have an environmental cost. The energy used by the devices leads to the release of a few grams of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The energy used to store digital content, transfer it from a data warehouse, and use the broadband and Wi-Fi in your residences, the computer and screen you are using to access digital tools and products, is significant. These have all become a necessity and an inseparable part of our daily lives, and they are all products of carbon.

Moreover, you may want to challenge the importance of a few grams of carbon dioxide to other people with whom you are familiar.

However, if you look at the number of users who visit your website daily, weekly, or monthly, the number of page views, documents downloaded, and videos viewed, the total of all these is quite large.

Although the energy needed to load a single webpage is insignificant, the internet is used by about 4. 1 billion people, which is 54% of the world’s population. Hence, the combined effect of the greenhouse gases emitted by each activity is much more than just a few grams of carbon.

It is estimated that our devices, the internet, and the supporting structures contribute to between 2 and 4% of the global greenhouse emissions.

It is the same order as the amount produced by the international airline business. Also, these emissions are expected to rise to double within the next four years.

However, it is crucial to note that these numbers are approximate and are from one year before the pandemic when people did not use the internet as actively as they do now. However, it is expected that these figures will rise in the future.

In the past, the replacement of offline paper-based services with online counterparts was considered a way of ”going green.” In fact, the benefits of digital goods and services are mainly associated with availability, convenience, and lower overhead costs. While it is helpful to save paper and avoid more deforestation, websites also have carbon expenses.

Is the carbon footprint of my website that significant?

The environmental consequences of our online activities are often overlooked by a significant number of us. Why should we do so? When there are numerous other events that have a significantly more substantial impact on our climate. In all honesty, the internet is also the location where we head to unwind by viewing amusing videos or perusing new clothing. This is a reasonable response, mainly because a significant portion of our lives are now conducted online. However, we could benefit from a greater degree of consciousness.

It is evident that each action we take online generates a carbon footprint, regardless of its perceived insignificance. In reality, the environment is significantly impacted by digital technologies and the internet, as they consume a significant quantity of electricity.

Examine the following statistics that may astound you:

• The energy consumption of digital technologies is increasing by 9% annually.
• About 4% of greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to digital technologies.

It is evident that the internet and digital technologies have drawbacks despite the convenience they provide. It is impossible to avoid leaving a carbon footprint if you are the owner of a website, regardless of its size. We acknowledge that this is not an enjoyable experience; however, we at Yoast are also guilty. Therefore, what can be done to mitigate this impact? At the outset, we will examine the factors that contribute to the carbon footprint of your website.

What is the necessity of carbon-neutral websites?

Humans have been exploiting the versatility of internet applications to their advantage since the early 21st century. Global statistics indicate that there are approximately 1.74 billion websites operating on the internet, with an estimated 4 billion daily visitors as of January 2020.

The substantial use of the internet implies that we may have made significant strides toward a more environmentally friendly society by decreasing our reliance on paper and consuming information online. Nevertheless, this does not imply that we have achieved carbon neutrality. The energy required to maintain the continuous operation of electronic devices is contributing significantly to environmental pollution in the form of e-jun.

Developing websites that are carbon neutral in order to create a more sustainable, vibrant, and promising future.

The internet alone generates emissions of approximately 2,330,041 kilograms of CO2 and consumes 2,339,400 MWh of electricity on a daily basis. Every internet search, at the most basic level, contributes to the discharge of 0.2g of CO2 into the environment and consumes approximately 0.3 Wh of energy.

These figures suggest that a rigorous framework founded on green IT solutions is essential, particularly in order to maintain the liveability of the planet and the sustainability of the IT industry.

Numerous organizations worldwide have already recognized the significance of environmentally friendly websites and are diligently striving to achieve or preserve their carbon neutrality, thereby motivating others to emulate their actions.

For example, Google has recently implemented the utilization of renewable energy sources (wind energy) to operate its facilities and recycles the water produced through reusability to chill its servers. In the interim, Microsoft employs undersea water to cool its data center computers.

Sky, a media company, has been carbon neutral since 2006. Adobe, Google, McKinsey, and Apple achieved this status in 2013, 2017, and 2018, respectively.

How to Reduce Your Website’s Carbon Footprint?

Climate change and environmental problems are the issues that have emerged in the contemporary world and have a significant impact on business processes. Websites are another tool any organization has; they produce their own carbon emissions. There are measures that firms can consider to lessen it. We will discuss on how various techniques may be employed to reduce the carbon footprint of websites belonging to organizations.

Use Green Web Hosting

Perhaps the most effective action a company can take involves changing existing web hosts to more environmentally friendly ones. Most web hosts follow a conventional path of using energy generated from fossil fuels to operate data centers. This results in the production of vast quantities of carbon emissions.

Other green web hosting services use energy sources from solar panels and wind turbines to operate their data facilities. Some providers go the extra mile to purchase carbon credits to neutralize any emissions they make. Transferring your site to one of these green website hosting companies is a good start in ensuring that carbon emissions are reduced.

Improve Code Efficiency

There are aspects of coding and design of a website that can make the website energy efficient. Huge and unoptimized files cause browsers to put more effort and utilize more electricity in displaying pages.

There are various ways sites can improve code efficiency:

• Optimize HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other files to make the file sizes smaller. This allows faster loading.
• Optimise images and media for size while maintaining resolution.
• Reduce code redundancies and strip the page of all excessive frills.
• When it comes to assets, you should use caching to prevent re-downloading when the asset might be needed again.
• It is recommended to use asynchronous loading for non-essential objects.

Smoother code ensures a large number of small pages. As a result, the computing resources required to access the website are also reduced, reducing its overall emission.

Prioritize Renewable Energy

Companies can also assess the internal functioning and increase the sustainability of websites. Visit the offices and data centers to determine the kind of electricity they use and where they source it.

Minimize the use of non-renewable energy resources in operating and managing the transition infrastructure by employing solar or wind energy wherever possible. Purchasing carbon offsets may offset some of that footprint while retaining their place on fossil fuel-powered grids. Even any tiny transition to renewable energy aids in lowering emissions.

Choose Sustainable Domain Registrars

Domain registrars are companies that host all the support structures that make websites reachable. Currently, there is no evidence of traditional registrars having had any focus on environmental campaigns. Therefore, the servers hosting domain internet services across the globe produce immense amounts of carbon.

There are now new registrars coming up that are tailored around the theme of sustainability. They manage data centers from renewable energy sources and reinvest the profits earned into forestry conservation. Moving your website’s domain name to one of these registrars can reduce its carbon footprint.

Offset Remaining Emissions

That said, follow any remaining carbon outputs of your website once you have taken several measures. If you cannot avoid that last lingering environmental impact, consider investing in verified carbon offsets. Offsets support efforts to directly reduce greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and offset those that your website is emitting.

While offsets are not a magic solution that removes carbon emissions in their entirety, they negate all unrestrained carbon emissions that you have not yet been able to control through exclusive green measures. Offsets enable site to advertise zero carbon facilities while organizations continue to strive toward implementing sustainable lasting solutions.

Conclusion

The awareness of climate change impacts increases the need for organizations to be held responsible for carbon emissions resulting from website operations. This article provided solutions that one could take, including changing the web hosting company to a renewable energy company, coding efficiently, purchasing carbon credits, and so on. Applying such measures can bring certain websites to exist and work with minimal adverse effect on the environment even if some are enacted only in part.