CO2 You’re surfing the net on your computer, checking your smartphone or watching catch-up TV, thinking: “At least this is environmentally friendly.” After all, you’re not driving a polluting car, burning fuel to cook dinner or flying to your holiday destination. Right? Or, wrong? Wrong. The internet and its infrastructure now constitute one of the biggest offenders when it comes to carbon footprint. Its sheer growth over the past two decades means the total CO2 emissions generated by the production of electricity needed to power electronic devices and transmit data is equivalent to the global airline industry. More data has been produced in the last two years than in the previous 40. This data forms part of everyday life, from the information on websites to email traffic, smartphone apps and online banking transactions. The data servers and cloud computers needed to store all this use power equivalent to what entire countries would use to heat homes in one year. And then there are electronic services like cryptocurrencies, which spew out billions of tons of CO2. The total energy consumption of the entire bitcoin network for example, including the ‘mining’ cost of making digital coins, was calculated to be higher than the annual electricity consumption of Romania. So, what do we do about this? Internet use is rising, not falling. Investment in digital trends such as fintech can eventually lower carbon footprints by facilitating the switch to less energy-intensive services. Recycling can keep electronic devices in the market for longer, avoiding the need to make new ones. But the main answer lies in switching to energy sources that can power the internet (and everything else) without producing emissions. That’s why Robeco has been at the forefront of engaging with fossil fuel providers and users to change business models and integrate renewables. Once the energy transition has happened, you won’t have to think before you click. Sustainability is the solution, online and off.
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