Digital Sustainability

As a digital consultant passionate about the environment, I help businesses build and manage websites and digital platforms with sustainability at the heart of every decision. By focusing on efficiency, performance, and reducing the environmental impact of our digital activities, we can all contribute to a more sustainable world.

Why Digital Sustainability Matters

The environmental impact of the internet is significant—servers and data centres require massive amounts of energy to power the websites, apps, and platforms we use daily. Every kilobyte saved, every performance improvement made, and every unnecessary resource eliminated contributes to a greener planet.

Here’s how I help businesses embrace digital sustainability:

Example: I work with hosting providers that run on 100% renewable energy, such as GreenGeeks or SiteGround’s eco-friendly plans, to reduce the carbon footprint of your website.

Regular Server Maintenance: I ensure that servers are kept lean by removing old backups and files, optimising database performance, and scaling server resources based on actual usage rather than maintaining excess capacity. This helps to lower energy consumption and improve efficiency.

Impact: By choosing eco-friendly hosting and regularly managing servers, businesses can reduce their carbon footprint significantly. For example, switching to green hosting can reduce the CO2 emissions of a website by up to 50%.

A faster website doesn’t just enhance user experience—it’s also more sustainable. By optimising your website, we reduce the data transfer and server resources required.

Efficient Code: I minimise CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files to reduce page size and load time. For example, a site that loads in under 3 seconds uses far less energy than one that takes 10 seconds. Tools like UglifyJS and CSSNano are great for minimising files.

Image Optimisation: By using next-gen image formats like WebP and implementing lazy loading (so images only load as the user scrolls), we reduce the bandwidth used by each visitor. For example, an optimised image can reduce data transfer by up to 70% compared to a traditional JPEG.

Technical Debt: I regularly review and remove unused plugins, old code, and redundant features. This reduces unnecessary load on the server and ensures the site remains lightweight and efficient.

Impact: A well-optimised website can reduce energy usage by up to 20%, benefiting both user experience and the environment. Plus, don't forget the performance of your site impacts SEO.

Example: I recommend using services like Cloudflare or Fastly to deliver website content via servers located closer to the user, reducing the distance data needs to travel.

Efficiency: A CDN stores copies of your website’s content on multiple servers worldwide. This means when someone visits your site, the data is pulled from the nearest server, reducing both load time and the energy required for data transfer.

Impact: Using a CDN can reduce the carbon footprint of a website by up to 50% by lowering the energy needed to deliver content.

Large files can slow down your site and require more server resources to store and deliver. I focus on optimising these assets to make your site more efficient.

PDF Compression: I use tools like Smallpdf or Adobe Acrobat’s optimisation features to reduce the size of PDFs, ensuring they load faster and use less bandwidth. For instance, a typical 10MB PDF can be reduced to under 2MB with proper compression.

File Formats: I ensure images and assets are saved in modern, optimised formats. For example, a PNG image could be converted to WebP, reducing its size by up to 80% without losing quality.

Impact: Proper optimisation of assets and PDFs can reduce the overall data load of a website by up to 40%, leading to faster performance and lower energy consumption.

Video streaming is a bandwidth-heavy activity. I implement strategies to reduce its environmental impact while maintaining quality.

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming: This technology adjusts the video quality based on the user’s internet connection, ensuring only the necessary amount of data is used. For example, users on slower connections won’t need to load HD video if they can’t view it at that quality.

Lower Resolution Options: I also provide users with the option to select lower resolution streams. Hosting platforms like Vimeo or YouTube can automatically adjust video quality to the user’s connection, reducing unnecessary data usage.

Impact: By optimising video delivery, we can cut the amount of data transferred by up to 60%, significantly reducing energy consumption.

Read more about video streaming here,

Simplified, user-centric design not only improves website navigation but also reduces the energy required to load each page.

Example: For an e-commerce site, instead of loading dozens of product images at once, I implement lazy loading and showcase essential content first. This approach reduces the amount of data transferred and speeds up the user experience.

Streamlined Features: I design websites to only include necessary elements, avoiding heavy graphics, videos, or animations that slow down the experience. For example, using static images instead of animated carousels can save significant server resources.

Impact: Minimalist designs can reduce page load size by up to 50%, decreasing energy consumption and improving site speed.

Keeping a website lean requires regular audits to remove unnecessary data and improve efficiency.

Example: I perform monthly or quarterly audits to identify unused plugins, remove outdated content, and archive older posts or pages that are no longer needed.

Technical Debt Management: Over time, websites accumulate technical debt in the form of outdated code, plugins, and themes. By regularly auditing and cleaning up this debt, I help reduce the strain on servers and improve site performance.

Impact: Regular housekeeping can cut server usage by up to 30%, leading to energy savings and faster websites.

Moving away from physical tools like post-it notes and flipcharts to digital collaboration platforms not only reduces waste but improves efficiency.

Example: I use tools like Miro and Trello for brainstorming and project management, replacing the need for paper-based processes like post-it notes or whiteboards. These tools allow for real-time collaboration without generating paper waste.

Impact: By going nearly paperless, businesses can significantly reduce waste and the energy required to create, ship, and dispose of physical products.

Learn more about digital transformation here.

Encouraging a more sustainable office environment can amplify digital sustainability efforts.

Example: Adopting digital signatures instead of printing contracts or using cloud-based file sharing like Google Drive or Dropbox reduces the need for printing and postage.

Impact: Transitioning to a nearly paperless office can save hundreds of trees each year and reduce the overall environmental footprint of your business.

Sending fewer, more targeted emails reduces the carbon footprint of your email marketing. Each email uses energy to be sent, stored, and read, so by optimising your approach, you can reduce its environmental impact.

Segmentation: Instead of sending the same message to your entire mailing list, I segment your audience and deliver personalised, relevant content. For example, tailoring offers based on past behaviour or preferences reduces the number of unnecessary emails, lowering overall energy usage.

Example: A campaign targeting users who have shown interest in specific products is more efficient than a blanket email sent to all subscribers. This reduces the total volume of emails and increases the relevance, saving both digital resources and improving engagement.

Impact: Well-targeted campaigns can reduce the number of emails sent by up to 30%, significantly lowering their environmental cost.

From website performance to digital collaboration, I help businesses not only improve their digital presence but do so in a way that reduces environmental impact. Whether you need an eco-friendly website build, a sustainability audit of your existing site, or guidance on greener digital practices, let’s work together to make a difference.

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