Decarbonizing digital technology: concrete solutions and French examples

Digital is everywhere. In our pockets, our offices, our servers, our clouds. It is used for everything: to get information, to produce, to produce, to sell, to work, to have fun. And while digital technology has long been perceived as intangible — and therefore clean —, the figures prove the opposite: digital technology now represents around 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a figure that could double by 2025 if nothing changes.

But then, how can we decarbonize the digital world without sacrificing performance or hampering innovation? This is the challenge of a more sober, more responsible approach, more aligned with the planet's limits. Good news: solutions exist, especially in France. Here is a concrete overview to start the digital transition of your company.

Why is digital technology polluting so much?

Before acting, you need to understand. The environmental footprint of digital technology does not only come from the emails we send or the videos we watch. It is divided into three main emission sources.

Terminal manufacturing

It's the Highest transmitter station, and by far. Computers, smartphones, tablets, connected objects: their manufacture mobilizes rare resources, energy, and generates significant emissions. According to The Shift Project, 80% of the environmental impact of a smartphone is linked to its production.

Hosting & data centers

The data we generate must be stored somewhere. Data centers consume a considerable amount of electricity, especially for cooling. And their number is constantly growing. In 2021, it was estimated that they represented 1% of global electricity consumption.

Data usage and consumption

Streaming, cloud, repeated video calls, endless scrolling on networks... These uses require networks, servers and our devices. Digital technology is not only a tool: it is also a culture of the instantaneous and abundant that deserves to be redesigned.

The main levers of digital sobriety

Faced with this observation, the watchword is clear: sobriety. Not in the sense of deprivation, but ofintelligent optimization of uses. Here are the three main levers to activate.

Reduce unnecessary uses

It is the simplest, and often the most overlooked. Delete unnecessary emails, deactivate videos in meetings, avoid heavy attachments, switch to audio mode when video calls for nothing... These small actions, multiplied across a company, make a real difference.

Eco-design your web services

A website, an application, a newsletter: everything can be designed to consume less. This involves:

• lightweight interfaces,
  
• a limitation of server calls,
  
• a reduction in unnecessary scripts,
  
• a clear hierarchy of information
  

Tools like EcoIndex, GreenIT Analysis or Fruggr make it possible to measure the impact of a digital service and to optimize it.

Extend the life of equipment

Why change computers every 3 years? With a little maintenance and good practices, equipment can last much longer. It also means choosing equipment that is repairable, modular, and if possible reconditioned.

Concrete solutions for action

Fortunately, many French companies are already offering concrete alternatives to decarbonize digital technology. Here are a few things you should definitely know.

TeleCoop, Common, Fruggr, MegaByte

• TeleCoop : the first telecom cooperative committed to digital sobriety. It encourages its customers to reduce their data consumption through a responsible offer. A partnership with Ethiquable even makes it possible to act on the digital consumption of employees.
  
• Commown : cooperative specialized in ethical and shared electronic equipment, it offers the rental of Fairphones or durable computers with maintenance included.
  
• Fruggr : a solution ofdigital environmental impact analysis, which can be integrated into a company to manage a large-scale reduction strategy.
  
• NegaByte : French consortium that develops standards for the eco-design of digital services, based on robust scientific data.
  

Measurement tools and support

To measure, you must first see. And to see, you have to equip yourself.

Environmental audit tools

• Fruggr, already mentioned, offers a complete dashboard.
  
• Greenspector makes it possible to compare the energy performance of mobile or web applications.
  

Green accommodation

• Infomaniak, Scaleway, Clever Cloud : these French hosts are committed to a greener infrastructure, powered by renewable energies, with optimized cooling management.
  

Responsible digital communication

Lightening your emails, avoiding bulky attachments, designing low-tech sites or rethinking your newsletter in a lightweight version are all possible actions. At 425PPM, we have for example Changed the emailing tool for a more simple solution, in line with our values.

How to structure the digital transition in your organization?

A successful transition requires a structured approach, conducted with method and consistency.

Audit, action plan, team mobilization

• Audit : take an inventory of your infrastructure, your uses, your service providers. Actors like Fruggr or NégaOctet can help you.
  
• Action plan : prioritize high-impact levers. For example: extending the lifespan of computers, reviewing site hosting, raising awareness among employees.
  
• Mobilization : nothing changes without teams. Trainings, workshops, internal incentive policies... The human factor is key.
  

The benefits: image, costs, regulatory compliance

Beyond the environmental impact, this transition allows you to:

• of reduce your costs (less hardware, less bandwidth, more efficiency),
  
• Ofimprove your brand image with talents, customers and partners,
  
• Ofanticipate future regulatory obligations, in particular those related to the CSRD and the REEN law.

Conclusion: Towards a sober digital system, in line with the living world

Digital technology is a great tool. But misused, it becomes an accelerator of climate change. Decarbonizing the digital world is not going back. It is choosing the right dose, the right tools, the right uses. It's questioning speed, abundance, and the invisible. It's taking care of infrastructure, content, and intent.

So let's ask ourselves this simple question: Do we really need everything we use today? If the answer is no, the transition can begin. And it starts here.

KEY FIGURES

• 80% of the environmental impact of a smartphone is due to its manufacture (The Shift Project)
  
• 1% of the world's electricity is consumed by data centers (IEA, 2022)