“Dirty Data”

An increasing threat to the climate Carbon footprint from data increase

Streaming video, checking social media or connecting to a game server is part of most people’s everyday lives. But many do not think about the fact that all this activity requires data storage, which in turn requires vast amounts of energy. Today, as many of the world’s data centers are run by fossil fuels, it means that the Internet can be a big climate polluter. 

If the Internet were a country, it would be the sixth largest consumer of electricity on the planet. The energy footprint of the IT sector is already estimated to consume approximately 7% of global electricity. With an anticipated threefold increase in global internet traffic from 2017 to 2020, the Internet’s energy footprint is expected to continue to rise. In order to prevent any further significant damage to our climate, we must make sure that our shift to renewable energy also ensures environmentally-friendly data handling.

Fossil Free Data Label launched by Node Pole
Node Pole is introducing a fossil-free data label to set a new transparent standard for how to cater for masses of data sustainably. As consumers shift their lifestyles toward environmentally-friendly products and put pressure on companies, many are beginning to realise that their data has a CO2 footprint. And as they do, demand will increase rapidly for sustainable data solutions. With one in three saying that they choose sustainable products and services and support companies that take responsibility, it will come as welcomed news that Node Pole is helping ambitious companies demonstrate their sustainability efforts – and to easily know if their data is green.

“Climate change is an enormous challenge for the global data industry and both companies and consumer are now starting to realise the carbon footprint of digital use. By using the fossil free data label, you stand out from competition and make it clear to customers and consumers that you handle data sustainably,” says Christoffer Svanberg, Chief Communication Officer at Node Pole.

In order to obtain the label, companies must meet certain criteria including the following (based on the iMasons DCPI report):

•  100 % renewable energy
•  World-class energy usage efficiency (≤1.2 power usage efficiency)
•  Less than 0.19 kg carbon emissions per kWh IT energy

There is a need for transparency to enable consumers to compare and choose services based on sustainability. Fossil-free data can become an extremely important tool for climate action and particularly popular tech companies with streaming services, as they account for 75% of all traffic on fixed-line networks across North America.

“The amount of data centers in the world will grow tremendously in the coming years, and by ensuring that they are fossil free, the tech industry can build a new sustainable sector that can change the world for the better,” continues Christoffer.

Read more at fossilfreedata.com