Sustainable IT challenges
Sustainable IT challenges
The digital transformation is revolutionizing our societies, our businesses, and traditional production and consumption models. But IT isn’t a virtual industry!
When it comes to the environmental impact of IT, mining and the process of turning natural resources into electronic components are by far the biggest culprits, closely followed by pollution from end-of-life electronics.
A few figures reveal what’s at stake:
%
Of GHG emissions are generated by the internet
That’s 50% more GHG emissions than annual global air travel generates!
Billion emails
exchanged in one hour worldwide
Billion devices
(computers, smartphones, connected objects, etc.) according to ADEME. An estimated 70% to 90% of WEEE does not go through regulated recycling channels.
kilograms
Of chemicals are used to produce a single computer… In addition to 240 kg of fuel and 1.5 metric tons of water.
years: the service life of a computer
Between 1985 and 2015, the service life of a computer fell by two-thirds, from 11 years to just 4.
%
of internet bandwidth is used for video streaming
15% for Netflix alone. Video streaming is growing exponentially… and it’s energy-intensive.
Sustainable IT
Sustainable IT
Sustainable IT includes Green IT, to reduce the environmental impact of corporate IT services, IT for green, which uses digital to advance sustainable development, and sustainable design of digital services.
The Sustainable IT label aims to reduce the social, economic, and environmental footprint of IT, so it covers all 3 pillars of sustainable development: people, planet, profits.
