The digital sector now weighs as much as aviation in terms of emissions. But behind this observation, concrete solutions exist — as long as you look in the right place.

Data centres, networks, terminals: the world’s digital infrastructure consumes a colossal and constantly growing amount of energy. But the largest source of emissions is the manufacturing of our devices — smartphones, computers, tablets — which alone accounts for nearly 70% of the sector’s carbon footprint. Keeping your phone for two extra years has more impact than any settings tweak.

Green IT, beyond the announcements

Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are multiplying carbon neutrality commitments. But these declarations rarely cover their entire supply chain. On the ground, concrete practices are emerging: eco-design of websites, green hosting, code optimisation. Tools like GreenFrame now make it possible to precisely measure the footprint of a web page — an essential first step before taking action.

Why it often starts with the website

The average website emits 1.76 g of CO₂ per visit. A poorly optimised site can exceed 4 g — double that. Uncompressed images, unused plugins, superfluous scripts: lightening an existing site is one of the fastest and most effective ways to reduce an organisation’s digital footprint. And as a bonus, Google rewards performance in its search ranking algorithm.

PRACTICAL TIP

Start by testing your site on websitecarbon.com — the tool is free, takes 10 seconds, and gives you a clear grade with an estimate of emissions per visit. If your score is below C, the first concrete action is to compress your images to WebP: it’s the fastest change with the greatest impact on page weight.

Want to know if your website could be lighter? Contact us for an initial diagnostic.