In the digital landscape, web hosting is often the largest part of an online company’s carbon footprint. In a mission to cut down on this, many businesses are embracing green web hosting, and some are even aiming for completely carbon-neutral websites.
In an increasingly technologically advanced world, even simple changes like streamlining web pages can have a profound impact on the environment. How? Let’s break it down.
Planet-Killing Websites: The Hidden Cost of the Internet
Did you know that every website you browse contributes to the climate crisis? Unlike the emissions from cars or planes, the environmental impact of websites is invisible – but it’s happening behind the scenes.
Websites rely on data stored in massive physical servers, running 24/7 and consuming immense amounts of energy. These servers also generate significant heat, requiring additional energy for cooling systems like air conditioning. It’s a cycle that silently drains resources and contributes to carbon emissions.
Websites are now often packed with auto-play videos, intricate animations, and flashy splash screens. While these elements may feel innovative and engaging, they demand far more energy to store, load, and interact with.
We want to make the case that the most forward thinking design that a website can adopt in 2023 is minimalism. We each have our part to play in reducing carbon footprints, and businesses and their web designers are no exception.
The Facts
According to Website Carbon (a tool that can estimate how much carbon your website is producing), in November 2021, the average web page produces 1.76g of CO2 per page view.
Website Carbon also features some great examples of sustainable websites, with the lowest emitter being Rights4Children, at 0.14g CO2 per view.
According to Greenpeace, the IT sector already consumes more than 7% of global electricity. This is only anticipated to increase, with data centres, where all our websites are hosted, being one of the most electricity-hungry parts of it all. They themselves have consumed 1% of global electricity in 2019. This is shockingly far more electricity, and far more carbon emissions, than the whole of the UK itself.
Green Web Hosting
The most effective way of ensuring your website is sustainable and running on clean energy is by switching your web host. Green web hosts have operations that are powered by renewables. However, not all data centres, and thus not all web hosts, are equal. Some are far more polluting than others, depending on how they source their electricity and how efficiently they use it. Some are simply more suitable and a greener choice for you, depending on where they are located and how they are set up.
Using The Green Web Foundation directory, you can easily find a reliable host suitable for your website. When selecting a green host, it is important to refer to the host’s renewable energy claims and PUE (power usage effectiveness) rating.
Making sure you choose a local server for most website users is also vital. This massively reduces the energy that needs to be used when loading a page. Simply put, the further away your data centre is, the further the information will have to travel.
It is also important to consider if the host company provides caching. If you have more than 5000 visitors per day to your website, it is recommended to use a CDN.
A CDN, or content delivery network, caches content in proxy servers that are located closer to end-users than origin servers. This means that content can be delivered more quickly and efficiently!
Climate-Friendly Web Design
Green web hosting is most successful in reducing your website’s emissions when combined with other strategies. One of these strategies is re-considering the design of your website. Start with limiting the number of images and videos you use on the site. This means that less time and energy are required to load the site.
Reducing the size of the images you decide to include is also important. This can be done using compression tools, such as Tiny PNG or Jpeg.io. Also, ensure you are using the correct file format.
Web designers can do this by converting images to WebP format or similar. As well as being more climate-friendly, cutting down on unnecessary content means that users get a faster-loading, less complicated website.
The Future of Green Websites
Although green website hosting seems like an easy switch for many businesses, climate-conscious websites are still in the minority. Greening a website is a great way to join this low-carbon movement, especially if your business is already conscious of sustainability.
It is important to remain positive in the face of the climate crisis, as it is understandable that not all of us can take immediate action. It is reported that the UK has already made progress in cutting emissions. In 2019, the country released 40% less than in 1990.
On a smaller scale, we can all get behind plenty of initiatives. Local group Green Tech South West is an example of a community we can support. They provide expert insight and discussion on how technology can equally battle the issue of climate change.
Ready to Make Your Website Sustainable?
At Nivo Digital, we specialise in sustainable website design and eco-friendly hosting solutions that reduce your carbon footprint without compromising on performance or style. Let’s create a cleaner, greener web together.
Contact Us Today to start your journey toward a sustainable online presence!
