What is a digital carbon footprint and what does it mean for marketers?

Marketers and businesses are seeing the value and importance of incorporating sustainability within their strategy, but what about your business’ digital carbon footprint? In this article, Laura Scott reveals what she’s learned and shares expert tips from the founder of sustainable marketing and comms agency Growfish.co, Pollyanna Durbin.

CIMs inaugural Sustainability Summit’s stage was filled to the brim last year, with speakers and organisations sharing their secrets to achieving a successful sustainability strategy. Watch our exclusive clip from the Q&A panel session to discover their thoughts on the lesser spoken-about, digital carbon footprint.

What is a digital carbon footprint?

“A digital carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted as a result of the production, use, and disposal of digital devices as well as the energy that is used to power them. This includes emissions from manufacturing and the energy used to run data centres.”
- Pollyanna Durbin, founder, Growfish.co

Our physical carbon footprint is easily recognisable in our daily lives – from our vehicle emissions to the materials that can or can’t be recycled in our bins. But have you considered your digital carbon footprint? It’s something that often goes unnoticed.   

From a marketer’s perspective, this can include everything from the energy required to send emails, to excessive data storage on insufficient servers.

Why your digital carbon footprint is important

The energy and cost-of-living crisis

“By harnessing the power of smart and digital technologies we can modernise our energy system, helping improve customer experiences and deliver a net-zero future.”
- Former Energy and Climate Change Minister, Greg Hands

In the foreword to a 2023 policy paper, former UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak promised that The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero would focus on providing “cheaper, cleaner, more secure sources of energy – cutting bills, [and] cutting emissions.”

With the UK’s continued push towards renewable energy, businesses are increasingly expected to monitor and report on their digital energy consumption. Updated corporate sustainability regulations now require transparency on digital carbon footprints as part of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting.

Sustainable marketing strategy 

“As more and more of our daily activities are conducted online, digital sustainability has become an increasingly important aspect of our overall carbon footprint.”
- Pollyanna, founder, Growfish.co 

You don’t need to overhaul every aspect of your business in one go to implement a sustainable marketing strategy, you just need to start. There are many ways to do this, and educating yourself and your team is a great starting point.  

For example, optimising your SEO can benefit your business in more ways than one. Improving your business’s visibility means that consumers spend less time searching and scrolling, resulting in less energy being used and carbon being emitted.

AI-driven marketing is also continuing to grow, but AI-powered tools can be highly energy-intensive. Marketers should be mindful of sustainable AI practices, ensuring they use models optimised for lower energy consumption.

Customer buying decisions

In the last several years, 90% of customers have chosen to make more sustainable choices and this places organisations under pressure to demonstrate how they are being sustainable, including how they communicate with their customers.

Recent studies indicate that consumers are more sceptical of greenwashing than ever before. Transparency in sustainability claims will be essential to maintain trust.

How you can start to reduce your digital carbon footprint today

Pollyanna Durbin, founder of Sustainable marketing and comms agency Growfish, shared some of her top tips to help you get started. 

1. Reduce excessive digital communication

Communication is an important part of any business and research shows that 59% of consumers prefer to be contacted by brands via email. There are an estimated 376.5 billion emails sent per day across the planet and it makes sense when you think of the power of email for businesses. However, although there isn’t any printing on paper or a postal van involved, there is still a carbon footprint. When you include sound or video, it can increase even more.

The trick isn’t to stop using email entirely, but instead to use it only when necessary and with purpose – saving you time, money and resources.

2. Reduce your device usage and “use energy-efficient devices” 

“A plugged-in device will still use electricity even when it's on standby [...] When you do need to purchase new devices, look for those that are Energy Star certified or have a high energy efficiency rating.”
- Pollyanna, founder, Growfish.co

As the old adage goes, “this meeting could have been an email”, and it's good practice to ask questions about how sustainable your processes are. If the printer is only used once a day, perhaps unplug it when it’s not in use. Or when you go on a lunch break, shut down your computer, rather than leaving it on standby.  

Implementing these small changes and purchasing energy-efficient devices will help to reduce your digital footprint and your energy usage.

3. “Choose eco-friendly providers”

“When choosing internet and cloud service providers, look for those that are committed to renewable energy and energy efficiency.”
- Pollyanna, founder, Growfish.co

Boost your brand's green credentials and cut costs by opting for eco-friendly cloud and internet providers. Harnessing renewable energy reduces your digital carbon footprint and appeals to environmentally conscious consumers.

4. Video calls

“Video conferencing calls: Only keep video on when absolutely necessary during meetings, otherwise turn it off and switch to audio. According to Forbes, turning off your camera in video calls could cut carbon emissions by 96%.”
- Pollyanna, founder, Growfish.co

A report released by the Resources, Conservation and Recycling journal revealed that an hour of videoconferencing can emit 150-1000 grams of carbon dioxide and needs 2-12 litres of water. So, turning your camera off or streaming content in standard definition rather than HD, can significantly reduce energy consumption and lower your digital carbon footprint. Many businesses are now adopting AI-powered background blurring and compression technologies too, reducing the data load of video calls without sacrificing quality. Some conferencing platforms also offer low-energy modes, optimising bandwidth and server energy use.

5. “Recycle or dispose of devices responsibly”

“When you're finished with a device, make sure to recycle or dispose of it responsibly. Many electronics recyclers will properly handle the disposal of your device, including properly disposing of toxic materials.”
- Pollyanna, founder, Growfish.co

 A recent report by Material Focus indicates a concerning trend: a growing gap between the amount of new electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sold and the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) collected for reuse and recycling.

Involving your entire team

Committing to developing more sustainable practices is something you can get your whole business involved in. Everyone in your team can make a positive impact and contribute to reducing your business’s digital carbon footprint.

According to the findings of CIM’s Sustainability marketing skills gap report, 45% of marketers feel under pressure to communicate their company or clients’ sustainability credentials, and 40% don’t currently have sustainable marketing qualifications but are interested in gaining one.

From filling the sustainability skills gap in your business to the font you use on your website and avoiding greenwashing claims, there are plenty of ways to make your brand sustainable.

Nurture your business with the plethora of resources on our Sustainable Marketing Hub and fortify your sustainability skills with our Sustainability qualifications and training courses.