Digital

Prefer “green” servers for websites, e-mail, etc

Objectives

To reduce CO2
To reduce the eco footprint (these servers are less damaging to the environment)
To raise awareness about alternatives to traditional methods

Green Value indicator

Eco footprint, CO2 savings, energy intensity:
Green servers and green browsers result in lower CO2 emissions and a decreased eco footprint.

Explanation

According to the researcher from the Institute of Ecology of UNAM Mexico Gabriela Jiménez Casas "the enormous servers that are distributed around the world have cooling systems, some with water, others with air conditioners, and all create an impressive amount of CO2”. Despite the fact that the large companies and leading corporations in the sector are betting more and more on feeding the system with renewable energy, the road is still long, and the same energies considered "green" present other challenges.
For these reasons, it is important to note that even if there are greener alternatives, you should always disconnect electronic devices that are not used, completely turn off PCs or laptops— do not put them to sleep, and disconnect from the internet, whether it is a Wi-Fi network or mobile data.
When creating a new website, one should think about which server will be used, because this will influence the results of the website. Servers from HP or Dell, for example, are becoming greener by optimising the efficiency of their servers by wasting less energy.

If you want to know how large the carbon footprint of your website is, you can always check a website carbon analyser such as www.websitecarbon.com , or you can habilitate an extension on your browser that will tell you the amount of emissions from the website you are visiting, such as theshiftproject.org .

If you go to ethicalconsumer.org, you can find a list of email providers that are considered to be greener alternatives to g-mail. This list includes:

GreenNet
Kolab now
Posteo
Runbox

All of these providers receive a green score above 14 points (out of 20). These providers are considered to be green because they buy their electricity from renewable energy companies.

The downside to these options is that you do have to pay to use them, except for Tutanota, which offers a basic free option.

To choose the right provider for you, you need to think about a couple of factors:

Do they offer email privacy?
Do they offer free email options?
Do they offer their services to everyone, or only specific customers, like broadband customers?
What is their company ethos like?

PROS/CONS of the action

Pros:

Some servers and ways to work are greener than others
The technology is advancing fast to be greener soon

Cons:

Not all servers are becoming greener
Technology developed up to now does not contemplate achieving a zero or, even better, positive impact on the environment

Certified

Not Certified

Link to useful sources

Email Providers www.ethicalconsumer.org

Green servers cropping up all over www.infoworld.com