Impacts of Digitization: Assessing the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Digital Initiatives

Estimates state that approximately two-thirds of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be accelerated using information and communication technologies. This novel and accelerating wave of digital innovation increases the energy demand of an already overextended planet. Energy, at least in the foreseeable future, generates carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change and disproportionately impact marginalized groups in underrepresented communities. Therefore, we cannot ignore the climate impact of digitization on our planet, and have an ethical obligation to make a difference where possible. This study examines the limited available research regarding the energy cost in kilowatt hours to transfer each gigabyte of data, and how effective content strategy and content design can maximize the value of information for the audience while minimizing its impact on the planet. The corresponding formulas can be applied proactively to new projects to understand the cost of creating new digital content; the value of clear and concise content; and the impact of culling redundant, outdated, and trivial information. Content creators should keep these numbers in mind when deciding what needs to be communicated to whom and identifying the most climate-friendly methodologies for how our content should be presented.