The rise of Industry 4.0 and the increasing use of new technologies have created a significant dependence on data usage and storage. Statistics and advanced forms of data analysis have ushered in a new paradigm in personal data use—making us both providers and recipients of new products and services in a globalised world. Industry 4.0 refers to a new model of organisation and control across the product lifecycle and manufacturing systems, enabled by information technologies.
From a circular economy perspective, digitalisation has brought forward several highly innovative tools aimed at reducing environmental impact. Data management and digital solutions—such as digital platforms, smart devices, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and blockchain—are now essential technologies for advancing the circular economy.
This “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, characterised by increased digital connectivity between people, products, and systems—driven by the Internet and mobile technology—has become a powerful catalyst for unlocking a wealth of opportunities.
Companies and users looking to future-proof themselves must enhance their digitalisation efforts and carbon footprint management. This starts with improving data capture, internal communication, reporting, analysis, and transparency—thanks to cloud services and big data. These improvements will no doubt provide a competitive edge.
In sectors like digital transformation in transport, change has come on the back of gradual digitalisation of procedures.
In short, the knowledge-based society depends on generating, storing, distributing, and using data. Data centres manage information from millions of digital devices—over 22 billion are currently connected to the internet, according to HelpNetSecurity.
A data centre is the physical location housing the computing resources of an organisation or service provider. Also known as an Internet Data Centre (IDC), it is a constantly evolving space.
The digital sector is responsible for approximately 3.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. A major environmental challenge facing the tech sector is that, despite being intangible in appearance, it relies on a vast network of servers, data centres, and network infrastructure—making it a considerable contributor to global emissions.
The environmental cost of using electronic products and digital services is evident, as highlighted in reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and DATA4, based on GeSI SMARTer 2030 data. The growing number of users and data is driving ever-higher energy demands.
National Geographic reported that every minute, 38 million WhatsApp messages are sent, 266,000 hours of Netflix watched, 4.3 million YouTube videos viewed, and 3.7 million Google searches performed—according to Cumulus Media data published by Visual Capitalist. If the Internet were a country, it would be the sixth largest polluter in the world, according to Greenpeace’s Clicking Clean report.
The main environmental footprint of data centres lies in the energy needed to power their infrastructure. Data centres, mobile antennas, and the devices used to access the internet all consume vast amounts of electricity.
To protect against power outages, data centres store large batteries—similar to those used in cars—and sometimes rely on massive diesel generators. As the internet continues to grow, so too will the rise of autonomous vehicles, portable devices, and smart homes. The cloud is expanding, and with it, the volume of data that must be processed and stored. Currently, there are around 9 million data centres worldwide, and those located in the US alone consume 10% of the country’s total electricity.
Jon Koomey, professor at Stanford University and expert on tech’s environmental impact, estimates that the internet accounts for 8–10% of global energy consumption, with data centres making up 1.5–2% of that. Koomey identifies three key components—what he calls “the big three”:
According to Gartner, the internet’s carbon footprint surpassed that of the aviation industry as early as 2007, accounting for 2% of global emissions. A 2013 study by CEET in Australia estimated that the telecommunications industry emits 830 million tonnes of CO₂ per year—a figure projected to double by 2020.
Each Google search releases 0.2 grams of CO₂ into the atmosphere. According to Google, 1,000 searches produce the same emissions as driving one kilometre in a car.
This vast ecological footprint continues to grow, positioning data centres as one of the industries that will most affect future environmental conditions—adding a cost to businesses due to the pollution they generate.
This has prompted a green shift within the industry, encouraging major operators and colocation providers to adopt more eco-conscious construction and operation practices. To achieve maximum efficiency and reduce environmental impact while cutting operational costs, experts highlight key technologies:
According to Gartner, the internet’s carbon footprint surpassed that of the aviation industry as early as 2007, accounting for 2% of global emissions. A 2013 study by CEET in Australia estimated that the telecommunications industry emits 830 million tonnes of CO₂ per year—a figure projected to double by 2020.
Each Google search releases 0.2 grams of CO₂ into the atmosphere. According to Google, 1,000 searches produce the same emissions as driving one kilometre in a car.
This vast ecological footprint continues to grow, positioning data centres as one of the industries that will most affect future environmental conditions—adding a cost to businesses due to the pollution they generate.
This has prompted a green shift within the industry, encouraging major operators and colocation providers to adopt more eco-conscious construction and operation practices. To achieve maximum efficiency and reduce environmental impact while cutting operational costs, experts highlight key technologies:
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