Why CO₂ matters
on the web.

The Environmental Impact

I built this app to highlight the impact of CO₂ emissions on the web. I do not pretend to always wear green socks, but we all have to start somewhere.

The internet isn't invisible; it runs on data centres that stay turned on 24/7. The digital world produces 2.1% to 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions—as much as the entire aviation industry.

Every megabyte downloaded emits CO₂. Heavy, unoptimized websites with uncompressed images and scripts add to the internet’s growing climate footprint with every page view. Invisible jet fuel.

Read more at The Sustainable Web Manifesto

The Business Impact

Beyond stable weather patterns and thriving marine ecosystems, minimizing our digital carbon footprint unlocks social and strategic advantages:

Cutting digital waste lowers operational cloud costs while expanding access for users on limited data plans.

Lean websites load faster and thus score better in Lighthouse audits, meaning stronger SEO performance.

Demonstrating environmental awareness strengthens brand trust and involves people in something greater than just commercial algorithms.

See Google's Core Web Vitals Guide to find out more about how search engines rank eco-friendly websites higher.

The Accessibility Problem

In many parts of Africa, millions of people still rely on slow mobile networks. One example, Ethiopia, where deep rural and agricultural communities are accustomed to 2G/3G wires. Or consider Sub-Saharan Africa, where almost two-thirds of mobile internet users still access the web through 3G devices.

For these folks, loading a non-optimized website means high data tariffs and waiting for pages that might never load.

To craft lightweight websites is not just a performance decision — it's a matter of digital inclusion and accessibility.