Information and communication technologies (ICT) are increasingly transcending our daily life while we voluntarily transfer our data to the cloud. Events like the COVID-19 pandemic on the one hand challenged the ICT sector, while on the other allowed it to expand on an unprecedented scale. At the same time digital technology increasingly impacts the environment, by contributing to climate change.
Sustainable technology in the context of the digital world refers to the development and use of technologies that minimize their impact on the environment and promote sustainability. This includes technologies that reduce energy consumption, minimize waste, and use resources efficiently. In the digital world, sustainable technology encompasses a wide range of practices and innovations that aim to mitigate the environmental footprint of digital infrastructure, hardware, software, and services.
This includes but is not limited to energy efficiency, resource efficiency, eco-friendly design, reducing emissions, and promoting sustainability. Whether we are designing, developing, implementing, or selling technology, we should be mindful of the carbon footprint it makes on the environment, mostly because digital technologies consume a considerable amount of energy, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, generate electronic waste, and require the extraction of valuable resources. This in effect contributes to environmental degradation, habitat destruction, and pollution, affecting ecosystems and wildlife. Given that overall ICT sector contributed around 4% to global greenhouse emissions in 2023, we could say that there is nothing to worry about. However, when we take into consideration the pace of ICT growth and its exponentially growing share in the economy, digital technologies will soon be among the key industries contributing to carbon emissions.
Addressing the environmental challenges early on by adopting sustainable practices is critical as industry can really make that way a difference in environmental footprint. Since digital technologies rely on scarce resources such as minerals, metals, and water, these practices can allow businesses to use resources more efficiently. Sustainable practices are also important from the compliance perspective. Moreover, by reducing energy consumption and waste generation, companies can lower their operating costs and improve their bottom line. All of these factors are becoming more and more important for consumers and stakeholders, who gradually demand more sustainable products and services.
Overall, sustainable technology in the digital world is about leveraging technology to create a more sustainable future, where digital innovations contribute to environmental protection and resource conservation. Thus, it is important to discuss how the whole sector can embrace green transition.
Carbon footprint of digital technologies
Digital technologies contribute to carbon emissions primarily through energy consumption. The operation of data centers, network infrastructure, and end-user devices requires electricity, a significant portion of which is generated from fossil fuels. This reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation leads to carbon emissions.
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