As Earth Day 2024 is upon us, it is a poignant reminder for businesses and individuals alike to reflect on our environmental impact. At Digital Zebra, we are continually committed to pioneering sustainable practices in the digital marketing sphere. Understanding the environmental footprint of our industry, and that of our clients is the first step toward meaningful change.
Did you know that the internet is actually one of the most carbon-polluting industries out there? Every year, it gobbles up around 416.2TWh of energy, which is even more than what the entire United Kingdom uses! We think that is pretty mind-blowing, to make this more concerning most of this energy still comes from harmful fossil fuel sources. It is something that needs to be considered more readily. Our websites use 100% green web hosting, powered by 100% renewable electricity from the sun, wind and sea. This means no shady carbon offsetting, just a direct relationship between a UK datacentre and Ecotricity to power the facility with energy generated by 100% renewable sources. There are other things that we can all do to authentically offset… but this is a biggie. Â
The Environmental Cost of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing, though less tangible than traditional marketing materials, still exacts a serious toll on the environment.
This footprint stems from various sources:
Social Media and Streaming: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are energy-intensive, largely due to the vast data processing and server maintenance they require. For instance, average social media use emits approximately 1.4 kg of CO2 per user annually, equivalent to driving a car for over 500 km​ (Greenspector)​.
Email Platforms: Services like Gmail, Yahoo, and Mailchimp contribute significantly to carbon emissions, with the global email traffic generating a substantial carbon footprint every year​ (Digital for Good | RESET.ORG)​. "Every email has an energy and carbon cost, regardless of whether it’s spam or a genuine message, and this cost will only increase as email continues to grow as a form of communication." - Mike Berners-Lee, author of "How Bad are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything
Paid Ads: The energy required for producing and delivering digital ads is comparable to major industries such as aviation. The digital advertising sector is increasingly aware of this impact, with more agencies prioritising emission reduction in their processes​ (ExchangeWire)​.
Cloud Storage and Web Hosting: Data centers, crucial for services like Google Drive and Amazon AWS, are particularly resource-intensive, requiring immense energy for power and cooling. However, advancements are being made with some centers using renewable energy and innovative cooling techniques to lessen environmental impact​ (Digital for Good | RESET.ORG)​​ (The MIT Press Reader)​.
Digital Zebra’s Commitment to Sustainability
At Digital Zebra, we don’t just recognise these challenges; we actively work to mitigate them. We are proud to partner with Ecologi to carbon offset our operations, making real strides towards a more sustainable future. Moreover, we are delighted to offer our clients carbon-neutral hosting and storage solutions, featuring the most environmentally conscious web building options available today.
Our commitment extends beyond just our services. We believe that better business practices must also be better for the planet. By integrating sustainability into our core operations, we ensure that our impact on the environment is not just neutral but positive.
Here are 10 insightful facts about the environmental impact of digital marketing.
Data Centers' Water Use: Data centers, crucial for cloud storage and digital services, consume vast amounts of water for cooling purposes, significantly impacting water-stressed communities​ (The MIT Press Reader)​.
Energy Consumption in Data Processing: A substantial amount of power is required to manage the data we send and receive every day, with about 25% of a data center's energy used for cooling​ (Digital for Good | RESET.ORG)​.
Digital Advertising's Carbon Footprint: The digital advertising sector contributes heavily to carbon emissions, with the internet's overall carbon output comparable to the aviation industry​ (ExchangeWire)​.
E-commerce and Sustainability: Digital marketing strategies significantly impact the financial and sustainability performance of businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises during events like the COVID-19 pandemic​ (MDPI)​.
AR and VR in Marketing: Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are transforming digital marketing by creating immersive, interactive customer experiences, significantly altering how businesses engage with their audiences​ (Play Media)​.
YouTube's Influence: YouTube, with billions of active users, has become a powerful platform for digital marketing, where a significant portion of viewers have purchased products after viewing ads or content on the platform​ (Brandwatch)​.
Social Media’s Massive User Base: Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have billions of active users globally, underscoring the significant scale and reach of social media marketing​ (Brandwatch)​.
SEO and Voice Search: The rise of voice search has prompted businesses to refine their SEO strategies, targeting long-tail keywords and optimising for local search to better connect with their audience​ (Play Media)​.
The Shift to Digital Media: Moving from paper to digital media, such as newspapers and magazines, can reduce physical waste but comes with its own environmental costs associated with digital storage and energy consumption​ (Groundswell)​.
Interactive Advertising: New digital marketing techniques, such as interactive AR and VR advertisements, offer more engaging and environmentally conscious alternatives to traditional print ads, reducing physical waste​ (Play Media)​.
These facts highlight the complex relationship between digital marketing and environmental sustainability, another issue which needs to be addressed is how the impact of business and marketing practices is measured and monitored, underscoring the need for ongoing innovation and responsibility as we move towards more digital solutions.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate Earth Day, it is important to remember that every bit of effort counts. Digital Zebra is here to help your business thrive sustainably. By choosing eco-friendly digital marketing and businesses solutions, we are not just investing in your brand's future but also contributing to a healthier planet.
We invite you to join us in more conscious business poractices. Together, we can create impactful strategies that respect and preserve our environment, meaning better business for all.
For more information on our services and sustainability initiatives, please get in touch. Our inclusive Pay as you Go Website service is an a great example of how we can still get great results without compromising our values. To celebrate world earth day we are offering 15% off (making it only £84.15/month), any new Pay as you Go Websites, and if you do not need a new website but would like a sustainable hosting solution option, we are offering 20% off hosting too, until the 22nd May.
This Earth Day, please can we pledge to be more aware of the very real impact of our business practices, they may be invisible to the human eye but they are very real.
Happy Earth Day 2024 from all of us at Digital Zebra!
