How To Account For The Environmental Impacts of Internet Services

Internet protocol data traffic grew by 219% between 2016 and 2020, according to an International Energy Agency analysis based on data from Cisco. New trends, such as smart home and car applications, are driving this exponential growth, along with the increased use of devices that access the internet. The machine-to-machine connections are expected to proliferate and account for half of the global connected devices and connections by 2023.

However, the use of the internet is often overlooked in terms of environmental impact. Studies show that the environmental burdens of digitalization can outweigh its savings depending on the specific situation.

Consequently, there is a need for standards, guidance and tools to account for the climate impacts of information and communication technology services. This would allow organizations to include and monitor them on a corporate level as Scope 3 emissions or on a product level in life cycle assessments (LCA) of smart products.

This white paper introduces a methodology to account for the environmental impacts of different internet services.

Register to download the white paper. 

Circles-1 (1)
WP 029 – How To Account For Environmental Impacts of Internet Services copy

Latest insights from Sphera

Filter

LCA for Packaging

Meet the demand for more sustainable packaging with Sphera’s purpose-built tool.
October 6, 2024

Floods, hurricanes and strikes: Managing the impact of supply chain risk events

The U.S. dockworkers strike is the latest in a series of events that are affecting supply chains worldwide.
October 4, 2024
120-What Is the CDP and Why Is It Important_1440

Climate risks and their impact on the supply chain

The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) both…
October 3, 2024