5.56 billion people used the internet at the beginning of 2025, equivalent to almost 68% global penetration. In 2024, the number of internet users increased by 136 million. Internet-related emissions totaled 3.7% in 2023 and are predicted to reach 5.5% in 2026. The internet emits billions of tons of greenhouse gases a year, and business websites make up a significant part of that. Energy-intensive hosting, high traffic with low efficiency, data centers’ carbon footprint, and overusing video content are some ways business websites damage the environment.
Servers require constant power
Websites are hosted on servers that require constant power, typically from fossil fuels. Your website’s carbon footprint can be significant if your hosting provider relies on non-renewable energy. Green web hosting services that use carbon credits or renewable energy can make a big difference.
In December 2024, S&P Global predicted demand for fossil fuels would increase by more than three million boe/d in 2025, and CO2 emissions linked to fossil fuel combustion would hit a new record, albeit representing the slightest increase since COVID-19.
Poorly optimized sites experiencing high traffic hurt the environment
When a poorly optimized website experiences high traffic, each visitor’s interaction demands excessive server resources. A website with unnecessary scripts, excessive redirects, or inefficient caching uses more energy than a well-optimized one. You will use less energy if you implement caching strategies and reduce unnecessary background processes.
Popular caching strategies to consider are write-through, read-through, cache-aside, write-back, and write-around. The cache is next to the database in a cache-aside arrangement. The application first checks the cache when it requests data. With the read-through strategy, the cache is between the database and the app. The app always checks the cache for a read, and the data is returned as soon as there is a cache hit.
A write-through strategy is unlike the above two because the app writes to the cache instead of writing data to the database. The cache then writes to the database.
Data centers consume massive amounts of energy
Huge data centers store websites’ data, and their server operations and cooling systems consume enormous energy. Data centers contribute to carbon emissions if they are powered by coal or other non-renewable sources. Choosing eco-friendly data centers with energy-efficient cooling systems and renewable energy sources can reduce your website’s environmental impact.
Data center emissions tend to be higher than officially reported. The Guardian reported that Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Google’s actual data center emissions between 2020 and 2022 were 7.62 times (662%) higher than they claimed. According to the IEA, data centers made up 1-1.5% of global electric power consumption even before the AI boom. A single ChatGPT query requires 10 times as much electric power to process as a Google search. Data center power demand is expected to increase by 160% in the next five years.
Too many videos and auto-playing media
Videos and auto-playing media require more bandwidth and processing power, consuming more energy. These features hike up energy use because they significantly increase data transfer needs. If you must use video, opt for compressed formats to reduce energy consumption. The most popular and common format, MP4, can store video, audio, text, subtitles, and static images.
Google developed the open-source video file format WEBM for HTML5. It plays directly in the browser, taking less time to load than other file types. Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and other major browsers support WEBM. This file type compresses and decompresses data easily, enabling high-quality playback with a small file. You can embed WEBM videos directly into your site’s background.
Recap
- Websites are hosted on servers that require constant power; green hosting helps
- Consider write-through, read-through, or cache-aside caching to lower energy usage
- Choose eco-friendly data centers with energy-efficient cooling systems
- If you must use videos, opt for compressed formats like MP4 or WEBM
