How to Reduce Your Digital Carbon Footprint

We all know about recycling, switching to green energy, and cutting down on car journeys. But have you ever thought about the carbon footprint of your website?

Yep. Your digital world has an environmental impact. In fact, the internet is responsible for and estimated 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions - about the same as the aviation industry. And that number’s only growing.

But the good news? There are plenty of ways to lighten your digital load without compromising on performance or impact.

1. Switch to a green host

Let’s start with the basics. Your website lives on a server, and that server uses electricity. If it’s powered by fossil fuels, that’s bad news for your carbon footprint.

The fix? Choose a green hosting provider - one that uses renewable energy or offsets its emissions.

Look out for:

• Providers listed by the Green Web Foundation
• Companies who are open about their energy sources
• Hosts that are investing in greener infrastructure

And as a bonus, green hosting can actually make your site faster and more secure too.

2. Make your website leaner

Think of every image, video, and line of code as digital weight. The heavier your site, the more energy it takes to load every time someone visits.

Here’s how to slim things down:

• Compress large image and video files
• Use modern file formats like WebP
• Minimise unnecessary code
• Remove any plugins or scripts you don’t need
• Use lazy loading so content loads only when it needs to

Less weight = faster load times, happier users, and lower emissions. Win-win-win.

3. Spring clean your content

If you’ve been building your site for a while, chances are you’ve got some digital clutter. Old PDFs, outdated pages, blog posts no one reads anymore…

Time for a tidy-up:

• Is it still useful?
• Can it be updated, combined, or archived?
• Is it adding value or just taking up space?

Fewer, better pages make for a clearer user experience - and a smaller carbon footprint.

4. Design with purpose

Good design isn’t just about looking nice, it’s about helping people find what they need, fast.

That means:

• Simple navigation
• Clear calls to action
• Accessible, user-friendly layouts

Less time spent clicking around = fewer page loads = lower emissions. It’s not just smart design, it’s sustainable design.

5. Don’t forget emails and cloud storage

It’s easy to overlook your inbox or cloud drive, but they have a footprint too.

Some quick wins:

• Delete old files from your cloud storage
• Unsubscribe from email lists you never read
• Avoid sending large attachments unless you really need to
• Compress downloadable resources wherever possible

Digital clutter adds up. Clearing it out is good for your brain and the planet.

6. Choose tools that align with your values

From your analytics platform to your video conferencing tool, every bit of software you use contributes to your digital footprint.

So why not go with tools that are doing their bit too?

• Look for software that’s B-Corp certified or carbon-neutral
• Explore browser extensions like Website Footprint to track your own web emissions

Even small changes can make a big difference over time.

7. Share what you’re doing

Sustainability is a journey, and talking about it helps. Share your progress with your community, supporters, or team - it’s a great way to lead by example and inspire others to do the same.

You're not just changing your own digital footprint, you’re helping shape a greener web for everyone.

Final thoughts

Your digital presence is a powerful tool, but like everything else, it comes with a footprint. The good news? There’s so much you can do to reduce it. And most of it will make your site better for users, too.

So whether you’re a charity, nonprofit, or ethical brand, making your digital world more sustainable is a smart, simple way to live your values online.

Inspired to make a change but not sure where to begin?

Let’s start with a free sustainability audit – practical, actionable advice to help you make your digital presence a little greener.

Book your free audit now and take the first step toward a more sustainable web.