Every day, the carbon footprint of digital technology is better understood and recognized for its role in climate change. Yet, there are many diverse solutions to reduce this impact. Every company can adopt measures at its own level and play its part in building a more circular economy.
Measuring a company's carbon emissions is often the first step in its decarbonization journey. It allows the company to assess its greenhouse gas emissions and identify the most significant sources. In the digital sector, calculating your carbon footprint is especially important because these emissions are often invisible and still poorly understood. The lifecycle of electronic devices remains highly complex and opaque.
To approach company decarbonization carefully and effectively, a carbon footprint provides a reliable snapshot of the business's greenhouse gas emissions over the past year.
The results from a carbon footprint allow you to identify and prioritize actions based on the highest-emitting areas. Furthermore, when performed regularly, a carbon footprint establishes a decarbonization trajectory for the company. It provides indicators that allow you to set specific reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions by source and track your progress.
With the global explosion in digital usage, its impact on climate change is undeniable. Arcep currently estimates that the digital sector is responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The technical complexity of devices and the numerous components they contain make the manufacturing of electronic equipment the primary source of digital emissions, according to ADEME. Purchasing them therefore requires extra vigilance.
A refurbished device is one that has been recovered after initial use, tested, and restored to meet specific standards for a new lifecycle.
The price of a refurbished device depends on its condition after restoration. If the equipment is in near-original condition, the price will reflect that. As a result, refurbished options can offer great value for devices that are tested and guaranteed.
Certain providers dedicated to businesses offer companies the ability to supply refurbished devices to all their employees, with a wide range of products to choose from. Using the refurbished market to acquire the equipment a company needs helps strengthen its commitment to sustainability without significantly compromising on quality. In fact, the AGEC law already requires the public sector to ensure that nearly 20% of their computers are part of a reuse cycle.
When hiring for temporary positions, standard procurement processes might lead to buying new equipment. However, leasing is a much smarter option. Temporary equipment leasing allows a company to meet short-term needs while limiting its environmental impact, all while avoiding the hassles of maintenance, repairs, or storage, which are often included in the rental agreement.
Obsolescence is a major issue in the electronics sector, but certain initiatives can help mitigate its effects:
Due to a lack of resources and the knowledge needed to pinpoint the exact cause of malfunctions, 60% of electronic device failures end up straight in the trash. Recycling electronics remains a technical challenge, as the components are only present in tiny quantities. It is therefore essential to avoid getting rid of your devices at the first sign of trouble and instead repair them to keep them in use for as long as possible.
If repair is an option, it will save both money and greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to buying a new device, and depending on the parts needed or the complexity of the repair, a refurbished device accounts for only 9% to 23% of the emissions of a new one, according to ADEME. Second-hand equipment is also a strategic way to avoid the raw material shortages that could affect the electronics sector as global demand rises.
In cases where device performance is significantly hampered by aging hardware or software, specialized organizations can help reintroduce it into the second-hand market. This gives the device a second life while allowing new users to acquire equipment at a lower cost.
Extending the lifespan of electronic devices is the key to reducing the environmental impact of digital technology. With this in mind, the French government is working to expand the scope of the repairability index, which was introduced for IT products in 2021 and extended to household appliances at the end of 2022. This index is designed to guide consumers toward repairable, and therefore more durable, devices.
By factoring repairability into the purchasing process, companies can ensure they keep their electronic equipment for much longer.
Given the need to provide employees with work equipment, having multiple devices in a single household can seem absurd and completely at odds with the sustainability goals discussed so far.
Offering employees the option to share devices has many advantages. Employees may take better care of professional equipment if it is also their personal device. If the equipment fails, the employer can then fund the replacement. This aligns the interests of the employer, the employee, and the planet.
⚠️ This approach can, however, raise concerns about maintaining a work-life balance. Most office software now offers effective separation between professional and personal accounts, with the ability to disable all work-related notifications outside of business hours.
Raising awareness about environmental issues is one of the most important ways to encourage employees to adopt more responsible habits. To this end, many resources tailored to the professional environment are available to help companies educate their teams.
Based on the same model as the now well-known Climate Collage, the Digital Collage focuses on the digital industry and helps participants better understand the hidden consequences of their digital usage. This collaborative and engaging workshop is particularly effective for team-building or themed days. Discussions between employees from different departments also help spark ideas and potential climate-friendly initiatives to implement within the company.
The many MOOCs available online allow companies to quickly raise awareness among all their employees without major organizational hurdles.
The "Sustainable Digital" MOOC, offered by the Institut du Numérique Responsable, is an open-access course covering environmental, ethical, and social issues—topics that are sometimes overlooked in the digital world.
Various initiatives are popping up in France and around the world as "Digital Cleanup Days," inviting teams to take time to learn about the impact of digital technology, with a special focus on data storage. The largest initiative to date, "Digital CleanUp Day," also offers participants workshops on reuse and recycling.
In practice, this day is a great opportunity to clear out or archive the many useless files clogging up the cloud and to adopt better daily habits. It’s also a chance to learn about digital challenges and how to use electronic equipment more sustainably. This initiative provides a 360-degree view of the actions you can take for more responsible digital usage.
Every day, the carbon footprint of digital technology is better understood and recognized for its role in climate change. Yet, there are many diverse solutions to reduce this impact. Every company can adopt measures at its own level and play its part in building a more circular economy.
Sources:
Digital impact on global emissions
Impact of digital manufacturing
Impact of new vs. refurbished devices - ADEME study
Your company's sustainable performance
