Published on 04/24/25

Green IT, or how to reduce the environmental impact of digital technology and move towards digital sobriety

Raphael Gabach

Responsible Digital Project Manager / CSR Consultant

10 minutes

With the acceleration of digital uses, the impact of this sector continues to grow, with estimates indicating that it could double in the next few ^years1. Controlling this impact is therefore a major challenge for our society, and one that involves reducing the environmental impact of digital technology.

Digital technology falls into three main categories:

User terminals: these correspond to our equipment (computers, smartphones, tablets, advertising screens, etc.).
The network: this encompasses the infrastructures needed to use the Internet.
Data centers: the servers and infrastructures that store our data.

Currently, user terminals account for more than half of the environmental impact of digital technology. Most of this impact occurs during^use2.

In France, the carbon footprint of data centers will increase by 46% between 2020 and²⁰²²³. This can also be explained by the acceleration of new uses, notably with the development of AI.

What method can be used to assess environmental impact?

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method measures the impact of a product or service at each stage of its life cycle.

On average, 70% of the globalimpact of a piece of equipment is generated during ^manufacture1.

Digital sobriety: definition

Digital sobriety means controlling the impact of digital technology by adopting a reasoned approach to its use.

This involves limiting digital usage, simplifying access to databases, analyzing the life cycle of user terminals, reducing the number of applications and eco-designing IT equipment and digital solutions.

Digital sobriety aims to reduce the environmental impact of digital technology, which is why it can also be referred to as a Green IT approach.

How do we go about green IT on a day-to-day basis?

Adopt a reasoned approach to our use of digital technology:

Use less equipment by pooling it
Extend the lifespan of equipment by keeping it as long as possible
Arbitrate our uses by questioning our needs

Include responsible criteria when choosing digital products and services:

Favoring eco-designed products & solutions
Encourage the use of reconditioned equipment

In France, digital represents 29.5 tonnes of CO2 eq emitted in 2022 (slightly less than the heavy goods vehicle sector). 46% of these carbon emissions are due to data center operations.

source : Digital: what environmental impact in 2022? -Evaluation of the environmental impact of digital technology in France- Ademe- January 2025 - infos.ademe.fr

To reduce the impact of digital technology, we need to question our needs, and recommend reasoned use rather than automatic recourse. This awareness requires us to arbitrate the digital uses in our daily lives.

Sources

¹Ademe- Arcep, Evaluation of the environmental footprint of digital technology in France,2023

² Green IT.FR, Impacts environnementaux du numérique dans le monde, third edition, 2025

³ ADEME-Arcep, Assessment of the environmental impact of digital technology in France, Infographic, January 2025

Green IT at Arneo

We aim to design our digital services in such a way as to minimize their impact on the environment, guarantee digital sovereignty, and promote the rational use of resources.

This approach helps to combat the obsolescence of IT equipment and reduce the consumption of IT resources.

Find out more about Arneo's key challenges for more responsible web solutions.

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