Why do we need to be more sustainable online?
When we think about living sustainably, we often consider things like recycling or using less plastic. Yet, the internet contributes to 4% of global carbon emissions—more than aviation. If the internet were a country, it would rank sixth in emissions.
The reality is, we're using the internet more than ever, and it requires a lot of energy. A decade ago, the average person generated 0.2g of CO2 online daily; now, it's around 8g. Even innovations like ChatGPT demand significant energy and water to train—equivalent to about 370 BMWs' worth of water. And each interaction with ChatGPT equates to pouring a bottle of water on the floor.
Certainly, we can't stop using the internet, but as SEO specialists, we have a duty to rethink how we use it. We have a responsibility to explore methods to cut down energy consumption, thereby becoming more sustainable internet users. Our SEO expertise enables us to address these considerations effectively.
How does the internet contribute to carbon emissions and water waste?
Our modern lifestyle relies heavily on electricity, drawn from various sources: renewable (like wind and solar power) and non-renewable (such as burning fossil fuels). It is burning fossil fuels what significantly contributes to carbon emissions. These emissions trap heat, leading to global temperature shifts, disrupted weather patterns, and climate changes. In simpler terms, our reliance on non-renewable energy sources drives up carbon emissions.
When talking about internet energy use, we’re not referring to computer manufacturing or operation—those calculations are complex, but we talk about servers in data centers. Each webpage load demands energy, and these servers, clustered in data centers, consume extra energy—often 1.8 times their capacity.
Additionally, this intense data processing generates heat, requiring cooling with cold water, leading to water waste. While some data centers use renewable energy or are based in cold regions such as Antarctica to reduce cooling needs, it's not universal. We need to find ways to minimize energy for server requests to lessen our environmental impact.
How to reduce energy usage on the internet
Increase page speed: Faster page loading reduces energy consumption. Reduce page visits: Streamlining user access decreases clicks and lowers energy usage. Enhance navigation for bot crawls: Simplifying website navigation reduces the energy that bots consume during crawls.
Tips for making your website more sustainable
1. Enhance page speed and CWV metrics: Accelerate page loading by optimizing images, minimizing code, and employing SSR (Server-Side Rendering). Faster loads lead to reduced energy consumption.
**2. Reduce Page Size: Optimize images, employ lighter fonts, and avoid unnecessary code to minimize page size. Smaller pages consume less energy.
3. Limit video usage: Videos drain significant resources. Optimize videos for the web and use them sparingly to conserve energy.
4. Avoid autoplay videos: Prevent unnecessary energy usage by refraining from autoplay videos that start without user interaction.
5. Opt for sustainable web hosting: Choose web hosts offering renewable energy plans to mitigate your website's environmental impact.
6. Implement Responsive Design: Ensure your website functions optimally and loads swiftly across various devices, from smartphones to desktops.
7. Enhance site navigation: Streamline navigation for users and bots, reducing energy consumption. Methods include an IA review, XML sitemap maintenance, error reduction, and maintaining a shallow crawl depth for priority pages.
8. Remove unused content: Periodically delete outdated or unused content to streamline your website's size and loading speed.
9. Employ a content delivery network (CDN): Leverage CDNs to deliver website content from nearby servers, enhancing loading speed and reducing environmental impact.
10. Conduct an energy audit: Identify opportunities for enhanced energy efficiency through an energy audit. Kara5 can assist you with this, contact us at info@kara5.com.
Does this sound familiar?
It should. Everything listed above is essentially the backbone of SEO. A sustainable SEO strategy is, in essence, a good SEO strategy. Our aim is to enhance user experience, aligning with improved energy efficiency. Google aims for carbon neutrality by 2030 (Bing even targets carbon negativity by 2030), possibly making sustainability a crucial ranking factor. Google has already experimented with eco-friendly initiatives like IndexNow and changes in sitemaps. This might just be the start of Google's efforts to meet its ambitious energy goals.
Essential Points
Enhancing website sustainability benefits both the environment and your site's performance and SEO. The internet's carbon footprint constitutes 4% of global emissions. SEO experts hold accountability for enhancing website sustainability. Numerous methods exist to achieve website sustainability, including optimizing page speed, minimizing page size, and opting for sustainable web hosting.
