Background

The Internet is a major contributor to our global carbon emissions because it requires a significant amount of energy to power the servers, data centers and other infrastructure that make up the Internet. According to estimates, the Internet consumes about 416.2TWh of energy per year, accounting for about 3.7% of global carbon emissions. This makes the Internet's footprint comparable to that of the entire aviation industry.

There are several factors that contribute to the Internet's carbon footprint, including:

1. Data centers: These facilities house the servers that store and process data for the internet. They require a lot of energy to run, and many data centers are powered by fossil fuels, which contribute to carbon emissions.

2. Network infrastructure: The infrastructure that makes up the internet, including cables, routers, and switches, also requires energy to operate.

3. Device manufacturing: The production of devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets also generates carbon emissions.

Efforts are being made to reduce the Internet's carbon footprint, such as using renewable energy sources to power data centers, developing more energy-efficient devices and using technologies such as content delivery networks (CDNs) to reduce the amount of energy needed to transmit data. Nevertheless, the Internet's carbon emissions are expected to roughly quadruple by 2040 (14% of our global emissions). By then, the Internet's footprint is likely to be comparable to that of global shipping, aviation and new building construction combined.