Hello friend 🙋‍♂️,

Today, we will dive into a topic you probably never thought could be eco-friendly – your inbox.

A few months ago, while attempting to calculate my carbon footprint and searching for ways to reduce it, I stumbled upon an intriguing article that mentioned, “Find out how much carbon footprint your email produces.” At first, it sounded bizarre that something as everyday as email could have a carbon footprint. But, after delving deeper into the subject, it became evident that our email communication does indeed leave an environmental footprint. So, let’s uncover the world of email carbon footprints, understand their environmental impact, and discover practical solutions to shrink our digital carbon footprint.

The Hidden Environmental Costs of Digital Communication 🫣

In today’s fast-paced digital world, email is a cornerstone of our communication, offering unmatched efficiency and convenience in both personal and professional spheres. However, lurking beneath this convenience is an inconvenient truth: every email sent and received contributes to environmental degradation. Emails, like all things digital, rely on energy. From the moment you press “send” to when the email lands in the recipient’s inbox, energy is consumed, and CO₂ emissions are produced. In a study by (Panchal, 2023, sec. Steps Implemented)

• Simple emails with no attachments: 4g of CO₂e (Carbon dioxide equivalent).
• Emails with picture attachments: ≈ 50g of CO₂e.
• Spam emails: 0.3g of CO₂e.

A common workplace employee receives approximately 121 emails per day, 60 spam emails per day, 30 normal emails per day, and 30.25 emails with attachments per day. So,

60 spam emails × 0.3g CO₂e = 18 g CO₂e.

30 normal emails × 4g CO₂e = 120 g CO₂e.

30 attachment emails × 50g CO₂e = 1500 g CO₂e.

The carbon footprint of emails received in a day is similar to ≈ 1,650 g CO₂e.

Spam emails, also play a significant role in our carbon footprint. In an article published by McAfee and ICF, On average, a spam message is associated with 0.3 grams of CO₂ emissions. While this may seem unimportant when compared to legitimate emails, it’s important to note that spam accounts for over one-third of the total emissions related to business and personal email worldwide.

The Mechanisms Behind Email Carbon Footprints 🛠️

The internet, often perceived as a virtual cloud, is, in reality, a network of energy-consuming electronics. When you send an email, it traverses various stages, including your Wi-Fi router, local exchange, a telecom company, and massive data centers operated by tech giants. Each of these stages consumes electricity, resulting in a substantial carbon footprint.

The exact emission amount is a subject of debate, some studies (like the one on top) put it between .3g to 50g while others put it between .03g and 26g.

According to a study by Basile Fighiera, contrary to regular belief servers are not the main energy expenditure when it comes to emailing. It’s even one of the less environmentally impactful if you consider that most of the large server providers in the world – like Google –are now focusing on ensuring their data centers are carbon-free, powering them with wind or solar power.

So what exactly are the actual sources you say? — “Devices”

The main source of carbon emissions linked to emailing is the production of the devices used to send and read emails. Over 90% of the CO₂e emitted when sending an email is directly linked to computers and smartphones.

Taking Action to Reduce Your Email Carbon Footprint 👣

So, should you pay more attention to your emailing habits? It certainly wouldn’t hurt. While emails may not be the single largest contributor to our carbon dilemma, they offer a straightforward way for individuals and organizations to reduce their environmental impact. Here are some actionable steps:

Here are some actionable steps to Reduce Your Email Carbon Footprint:-

• Unsubscribe from unnecessary mailing lists to reduce incoming emails.
• Delete unwanted emails to free up space and reduce the load on data centers.
• Advocate for companies and institutions to adopt renewable energy sources for their data centers.
• Raise awareness about the carbon footprint of technology and support policies promoting cleaner energy sources.
• Promote sustainable practices within the tech industry, such as companies using wind farms and renewable energy

While emails might not be the largest contributor to our carbon footprint, they represent an easily addressable aspect of our digital lives. By consciously managing our email habits and advocating for cleaner energy practices within the tech industry, we can make a significant difference in mitigating the carbon footprint of our digital age. Sending fewer unnecessary emails and supporting renewable energy initiatives are small steps that, when taken collectively, can have a substantial impact in addressing the pressing climate crisis.

Thank you for joining this exploration of email carbon footprints.

Wishing you a great day ahead. Take care. Until next time 🙂🙂

– Sumit.