Climate change is an urgent and pressing issue that poses significant threats to global ecosystems, human health, and socio-economic structures. Its most visible manifestation is global warming, which has seen our planet’s average surface temperature rise by approximately 1.18 degrees Celsius (about 34 degrees Fahrenheit) since the late 19th century. This alarming change is primarily driven by the surge in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, a key greenhouse gas responsible for climate change [0].

The understanding of humanity’s impact on Earth’s climate traces back to the late 19th century when scientists first hypothesized that the burning of fossil fuels might elevate atmospheric CO2 levels and global temperatures. However, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that the science of climate change gained widespread recognition. In 1958, Charles David Keeling established the Keeling Curve [11], an...

If you can't measure it, you can't improve it.

- Peter Drucker

When it comes to measuring carbon emissions for digital services and products, the task at hand involves more than just tallying numbers. It requires a clear understanding of what precisely needs to be measured. The challenge lies in establishing the boundaries of our measurement – deciding what factors to include or exclude in our calculations.

In the world of environmental accounting, the concept of “boundary” refers to the scope of emissions that an organization or system aims to account for. This is where the GHG Protocol [13], a widely recognized standard, comes into play. The GHG Protocol provides guidelines for organizations to measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions.

Within the protocol, emissions are categorized into three scopes:

• Scope 1: These are direct emissions that originate from sources owned or controlled by the organization...

Within the intricate landscape of digital operations, encompassing software development, data storage, and device utilization, a recurring factor prevails: energy consumption. Digital activities, whether revolving around the relentless operation of cloud servers fueling applications and websites or the power essential to device functionality, inherently entail energy overheads.

In this context, it becomes increasingly evident that energy consumption serves as a pragmatic and technically measurable metric for gauging the environmental footprint of digital endeavors. This is concisely stated as follows:

Energy Consumption

Energy consumption directly impacts the environmental footprint of digital operations, with the impact largely determined by the carbon intensity of the electricity source.

This principle highlights a critical technical path: as we delve into the realm of monitoring and enhancing the energy efficiency of our sustainable pursuits...

With energy defined as our carbon proxy, we can now more clearly understand how to measure the emissions generated by our software.

Digital Carbon Footprint

This term refers to the total amount of carbon emissions equivalent to the energy consumed throughout the life cycle of digital goods and services.

This definition has now become our pivotal metric for estimating carbon emissions from digital activities, providing a tangible measure to aid us in understanding and mitigating the environmental impact of our digital operations. However, quantifying the digital carbon footprint presents additional challenges, primarily due to the metric’s reliance on the carbon intensity of electricity.

To contextualize this, it’s beneficial to compare it with “traditional” carbon footprint measurements. Unlike the more direct emissions from transportation or manufacturing, the digital carbon footprint is linked to the energy sources...

Understanding and managing software’s climate impact is an essential step toward creating sustainable digital solutions. In this chapter, we’ve learned about the environmental implications of digital operations, particularly focusing on the concept of the “digital carbon footprint.”

We’ve explored how energy consumption can be used as a proxy to measure the digital world’s impact on the environment and examined various factors contributing to this footprint, including video streaming, enterprise IT infrastructure, and the complexities of measuring digital emissions.

In the following chapter, we will delve into cutting-edge foundational frameworks and industry best practices designed to reduce the environmental impact of digital activities. Our objective is to uncover sustainable solutions in software development and digital operations, crucially aligning with the pressing demand for environmental sustainability in our digital...

[1] Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 2021. “The Science of Climate Change | Wisconsin DNR.” Dnr.wisconsin.gov. 2021. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/climatechange/science.

[2] Devernay, Laurent, Gerry McGovern, and Tim Frick. 2022. “The 2022 Web Almanac: Sustainability.” Almanac.httparchive.org. September 26, 2022. https://almanac.httparchive.org/en/2022/sustainability.

[3] Ferreboeuf, Hugues. 2019. “-LEAN ICT- TOWARDS DIGITAL SOBRIETY REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP DIRECTED BY HUGUES FERREBOEUF FOR THE THINK TANK THE SHIFT PROJECT -MARCH 2019.” https://theshiftproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Lean-ICT-Report_The-Shift-Project_2019.pdf.

[4] Capgemini UK. 2023. “Sustainable IT – the Backbone of a Greener Future.” Capgemini UK. July 11, 2023. https://www.capgemini.com/gb-en/insights/research-library/sustainable-it/.

[5] Bernard, Susanne. 2020. “CO2-Fussabdruck Im Internet - Surfe Ich Das...