Changes in digital behavior can reduce carbon emissions: Research

By Yeter Ada Seko

ISTANBUL (AA) — Internet users can change their behavior to reduce the carbon footprint of online digital technologies, which account for 3.7% of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to recent studies.

Energy consumption due to online activities, from streaming TV shows and movies to sending emails, increases by an average 9% every year, according to data that Anadolu compiled from research by leading universities and a climate think tank.

Emissions caused by digital technologies are estimated to be 1.7 billion tons per year, suggest the studies conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Purdue, Yale, and the University of Cumberlands, as well as The Shift Project, based in France.

The average Internet user generates an estimated 414 kilograms (about 913 pounds) of emissions, while an roughly 1.45 grams occur for every query on search engines, one of the most common online services used.

Watching high-quality videos, meanwhile, results in an average of 7 gigabytes (GB) of data used per hour for a total of 441 grams of carbon emissions. By downgrading video quality to standard definition, users can cut monthly carbon emissions by up to 2.5 kilograms.

Similarly, a standard video conference costs an average of 2.5 GB of data usage per hour and 157 grams of carbon emissions, while disabling video reduces emissions by 96%.

According to calculations, an average of 4 grams of emissions occur by sending a standard email, though this varies depending on documents that may be attached to the email. The emissions produced by an email with an image, for instance, can reach 50 grams.

The crypto industry also another major digital consumer of energy.

A single Bitcoin transaction consumes an average of 819 kilowatt-hours of energy— equivalent to six months of electricity consumption by a household.