Reduce your online carbon emissions! How to create an eco-friendly website?

Amid concerns about the impacts of climate change, environmentally friendly websites can save energy and reduce the impact of carbon dioxide emissions from online usage.

 

According to the Shift Project report, online usage is estimated to account for 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is roughly equivalent to the amount emitted by the aviation industry. This figure is expected to increase by 2025.

 

As a member of the internet industry, Bejamas aims to contribute to the reduction of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Building an environmentally friendly website can be easily started. We will explain what is necessary for that.

 

First, let's define what a green or eco-friendly website is.

1. What is an environmentally friendly website?

A green or eco-friendly website is one that is built in a more environmentally friendly way. This means using more energy-efficient solutions and technologies.

 

If you want to see how websites are currently impacting the planet, please use the "Website Carbon Calculator." According to their data, an average web page generates 1.76 grams of CO2 per page view, which amounts to 211 kg of CO2 annually for a website with 10,000 page views per month.

 

Not only does reducing CO2 emissions during page views matter, but an environmentally conscious website is also responsive, user-friendly, and allows for efficient operation. As a result, it can save time and energy in navigation.

2. Introduction: Building Environmentally Friendly Websites

2-1 Site Speed Improvement

The most important point to pay attention to when building a green website is the site's speed.

 

If users have to wait less time for the site to load, the amount of energy and carbon dioxide used will also be reduced. Here is a useful video provided by Google Chrome Developers on how to speed up page loading in Chrome.

 

 

We strongly recommend checking the opinions of the Jamstack community and valuable suggestions to improve speed and ultimately increase your Google ranking.

 

At Bejamas, we are proud to have collaborated with the team at Backlinko.com to improve speed without sacrificing performance, resulting in a threefold increase in loading speed.

 

2-2 Use of Environmentally Friendly Web Hosting

Data centers require vast amounts of energy to store all data, making them one of the biggest contributors to climate change. One of the first considerations when transitioning to a non-polluting alternative is the type of host to use.

 

Techradar publishes a ranking of environmentally friendly hosting sites, so please take a look.

 

2-3 Have a design mindset that considers the environment

Please try to consider design optimization from the very beginning. I believe now is the time to pay attention to website design in order to minimize the use of resources that may have a negative impact on the environment. There are many things that can be done to make the design more environmentally friendly, such as reducing image sizes and adopting a mobile-first approach.

 

We focus on "efficiency through design" to achieve more sustainable solutions, and we must propose making the site a Progressive Web App (PWA). This not only reduces the site's loading time but also allows it to function offline without the internet.

*There is also a method to build a Progressive Web App (PWA) using Jamstack.

 

It is also important to consider whether all elements of the website are designed with sustainability in mind. Think deeply about speeding up the site's loading time, reducing the use of large graphics, optimizing the site with code, and selecting the appropriate content that should be included.

 

2-4 Engaging in SEO

SEO speeds up searches and allows users to quickly find what they are looking for. By optimizing your site using SEO best practices, you can reduce the number of searches and the time it takes for your site to load.

 

Let's structure the content with appropriate keywords and headings, make it mobile-first, and provide the most relevant information in prominent places.

3. Transition to Environmentally Friendly Technologies

Global warming is currently affecting our daily lives and jeopardizing the future of the Earth. We are witnessing absolutely strange climate changes, such as unbelievable floods, prolonged droughts, and many other intense weather phenomena. Therefore, let us start by making decisions and consciously taking action in our daily lives.

 

As mentioned earlier, high-tech devices emit a large amount of carbon dioxide, and it is important for us to be fully aware of this every time we use devices to search for interesting questions. Ultimately, by being environmentally conscious and reducing carbon emissions, we are investing in ourselves, our families, our health, and even our finances.

 

Why not start by understanding the impact of our internet usage and how we can utilize our knowledge and skills to combat global warming and climate change?

 

Building a website with consideration for the environment may seem like a small thing, but it is a step towards more eco-friendly technology. The good news is that it doesn't have to be painful; it is mainly about gradually changing things with a focus on user experience and usability. Therefore, by incorporating these habits into your work process, they will naturally become second nature.

 

We hope this article is helpful to you. If you are looking for tips, tools, and guides to consider the environment when building a website, please check out the best environmental technology resources curated by our CTO, Thom Krupa.

 

How about it? Don't you want to create a website that is environmentally friendly?