Digital technology has revolutionized the world of work a little. In particular, the computer has become a fundamental tool in the office. Through this device and many others, such as the tablet, workers access a multitude of digital solutions. Undoubtedly, digital tools make work easier, even allowing remote interactions.

However, like anything used for human activity, they have a impact on the environment. Businesses unwittingly bear a large part of the responsibility in this situation. Public authorities rely on them, among other things, to achieve the ecological transition.

Are you part of a company's management team? Here are the best ways to reduce the environmental footprint of digital structures.

Reduce the energy consumption of IT tools

The energy consumption of computer hardware is one of the causes of its harmful effects on nature.

Become aware of the impact of digital technology on the environment

In France, digital services consumed 48.7 TWh in 2020, which corresponds to 10% of national energy consumption. They have a carbon footprint estimated at 16.9 million tons of CO equivalent₂ (eq CO₂). This quantity represents 2.5% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in France.

This data does not come from SirEnergies but rather from two state agencies that jointly carried out a study on the environmental impact of digital technology in France.

It's about Arcep (Agency for the regulation of electronic communications, posts and press distribution) and ADEME (Agency for the Environment and Energy Management). In light of these figures, it is urgent to adopt some good habits to reduce the consumption of your tools computers.

Buy low-power computer equipment

In order to reduce your company's carbon footprint, pay attention to the equipment you buy for build your IT fleet. Not all devices have the same appetite for electrical energy. Forget hardware made from outdated technology even if they are inexpensive to buy.

Generally, older computer models consume a lot of power. In contrast, the most recent models are, for the most part, designed to meet current environmental challenges. However, even in the new computer line-up, some require more power than others.

Choose PCs that have an SSD drive. Older mechanical hard drives are slow, which affects power consumption. Make sure the processors are modern before buying your computers. Do not hesitate to be accompanied by a specialist computer equipment to make your choices a success.

Switch off computer devices after use

One of the simple reflexes to have in business to limit digital pollution, it is the turning off of computers, printers and other equipment after use. Very often, in a professional environment, the devices are constantly powered on all day long.

However, they are not used during all hours of work. As a business manager, raise the awareness of your employees on the value of turning off devices when they are not in use.

Adopt good browsing habits

The Internet is one of the main contributors to global GHG emissions. One reason is that the large volumes of data that circulate in this network are stored on physical servers. However, the latter are Generally very energy-intensive. To reduce your company's carbon footprint, establish good browsing habits.

According to a Green Code Lab study conducted on behalf of ADEME, some browsers consume more power than others. For example, Internet Explorer or Firefox are more economical what Chrome

Optimize the execution speed of your queries by targeting specific keywords for your searches. Ask your employees to save the sites they use frequently in favorites so they can be easily accessed.

Join a circular economy dynamic

The circular economy is indicated by the public authorities as a solution for optimize the exploitation of natural resources. This saving mode focuses on the sobriety in the management of raw materials while improving product efficiency at all stages. Join this dynamic when buying and managing the end of life of professional computing devices.

Choosing your local suppliers can help you reduce your participation in digital pollution. By doing so, the impact of transporting the equipment to your premises will be less. According to the studies carried out by Arcep and Ademe mentioned above, the environmental impact of an IT tool depends in part on the region where it is manufactured. In countries such as China and the United States, The energy mix Is very carbonaceous.

The ideal is to choose devices made in a country where renewables and carbon-free ones play a very important part in energy production and consumption. We recommend that you opt for a computer hardware manufacturer whose factories are located in Europe, in this case in France.

Also consider refurbished equipment for reduce the environmental impact of your IT fleet. According to a study carried out by Ademe on the reconditioning of terminals, the purchase of a refurbished device can reduce its environmental effects by 55 to 91% compared to a new model.

The reason is that this option makes it possible to avoid the exploitation of 82 kg of raw materials. As a result, the emission of 25 kg of greenhouse gases per year of use is avoided. In other words, the choice of refurbished equipment considerably reduces thecarbon footprint of your business.

Manage data storage in the best way

Data storage is essential in business. To do this, businesses have several solutions to choose from. The cloud is certainly very practical since all processes are generally automated.

However, the data are hosted On servers that consume a lot of power. The right way to store data while limiting the environmental impact is the use of internal media.

For this purpose, you can use external hard drives and/or use NAS (Network Attached Storage). You will find external drives of various sizes on the market.

This solution may be suitable for a small business or an SME. For a larger business, NAS is more suitable because of its large storage capacity. It is an enclosure that houses hard drives that contain all of the company's data.

It is a good way to centralize all of your company's resources internally. However, take the precaution of copy data to another space of storage to be kept outside the company. This will limit the risk of data loss in the event of a flood, fire or burglary.

Use emails well

Widely used in business, emails have a significant environmental impact. Sending them consumes more energy than storing them. Within your company, make your employees aware of this issue.

The emails Don't should be sent what when it is really needed. You can also take action on the weight of e-mails for eco-responsible use.

Compress files when you want to send multiple files. If you don't read the automatic messages you receive from some sites, unsubscribe from their newsletters. Finally, ask your employees to clean their mailboxes and to keep only the important messages.

Choose eco-responsible partners

Committed to the ecological fight, remember to train your partners with you. Watch to choose suppliers and logistics companies that demonstrate ecological responsibility. Think of opt for local suppliers in order to reduce the burden of transport on the environment. For example, if you run a commercial entity, you can give preference to manufacturers of biodegradable packaging.