We are used to hearing about the climate footprint of airplanes and cars. In Norway, 34 percent of climate emissions come from transport, according to the Norwegian Environment Agency. Road traffic accounts for 18 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in Norway. Airplanes account for approximately 5 percent. But how big a carbon footprint Norwegian websites have, fewer people talk about. NOW: – Will do something about it The website “Website Carbon Calculator” measures the carbon footprint of websites. There you can enter the URL of a website and get a result on how climate-friendly it is. When you check the website for Nature and Youth, it gets a failing grade. The website “Website Carbon Calculator” measures Natur og Ungdom’s website to be 85 percent more climate-hostile than other websites globally. Photo: Screen dump – We were simply not aware of this, and of course want to do something about it, writes Gytis Blaževičius, Deputy Head of Nature and Youth, in an email to news. news’s own site, news.no, has been graded E, and is just above average, but still quite “dirty”, according to the carbon measurement. As a first step, the deputy chairman says that they have contacted those who operate the website to hear how they relate to this, and how they can make structural changes to improve the situation. Gytis Blaževičius, Deputy Director of Nature and Youth, will look at the possibilities of finding Norwegian centers to store their website. – I think it is a good principle that what is made in Norway is stored in Norway. Photo: Frida Myklebust Amdahl According to the “Carbon Calculator”, nu.no is run on renewable energy, but the deputy chairman will still consider a new host for the website who can confirm that their energy sources are indeed renewable. – It is absolutely clear that it is incredibly important to think about where and what is stored, so that emissions do not increase along with the increasing digitization in society, says Blaževičius. – It is great that more such tools are now appearing in several fields, so that it can be easier to both be aware, but also to find solutions. This is what the carbon calculator says about NU’s website The Carbon Calculator Website Carbon Calculator says that Nu’s website uses CO₂ in the year equivalent to: Heating water for 24,179 cups of tea 38,805 full smartphone recharges The amount of carbon nine trees absorb annually Driving an electric car 2,980 km Website Carbon Calculator calculates the website to emit 178.44 kg of CO₂ a year. The carbon calculator Digital Beacon believes the website emits 244.8 kg of CO₂ a year. The Carbon Calculator believes the website emits 96 kg of CO₂ a year. Equinor: – Focus on this for quite some time When the climate campaigners in Nature and Youth have such a high carbon footprint on their website, it is perhaps surprising that Equinor comes out much better. The website “Website Carbon Calculator” measures Equinor’s carbon footprint to be 64 percent more climate-friendly than other websites globally. Photo: Screenshot – We are very happy about that, says Magnus Frantzen Eidsvoll, press officer for Equinor. He says they have worked actively to get a low carbon footprint on the website for several years already. – We have been focusing on it for quite some time. This applies to both the design of the site and the technical solution, says Eidsvoll. In 2022, 48.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents were released in Norway, according to figures from Statistics Norway (SSB). 12 million tonnes of these came precisely from oil and gas extraction, which Equinor, among others, is responsible for. Magnus Frantzen Eidsvoll, press spokesperson for Equinor, says that they work systematically to reduce their carbon footprint. Photo: Arne Reidar Mortensen / Equinor – Do you focus on the carbon footprint of the website to compensate for your general climate footprint? – It is more about us thinking holistically. We are primarily an energy producer and supply energy to many customers, says Eidsvoll. – We work systematically and structured to reduce the footprint of our business. He believes that it is new to many that both private individuals and companies’ use of data leaves a footprint on the climate. This is what the carbon calculator says about Equinor’s website The Carbon Calculator Website Carbon Calculator says that Equinor’s website uses CO₂ in the year equivalent to: Heating water for 5301 cups of tea 8507 full smartphone recharges The amount of carbon two trees absorb annually Driving an electric car 653 km Website Carbon Calculator calculates website to release 39.12 kg of CO₂ a year. The carbon calculator Digital Beacon believes the website emits 24.72 kg of CO₂ a year. The Carbon Calculator believes the website emits 23 kg of CO₂ a year. Data storage is as bad for the climate as flying Hans Kristian Henriksen is a developer for the company Bekk and has a good overview of the climate footprint of the IT industry in general. He says that our ever-increasing use of computing power and the enormous amounts of data we send and store correspond to approximately 3.5 percent of total global emissions. These are roughly the same emissions as the airline industry. Hans Kristian Henriksen, developer for the company Bekk, says there will also be an increased focus on the IT industry in the future with regulations and pressure from users and companies. Photo: Bekk – In many cases, it is to everyone’s advantage that websites become more climate-friendly. It is a rare opportunity for the environmental side and the business side to go hand in hand, says Henriksen. A more climate-friendly website is a page that transfers less data. This means that it is faster for the user, and the company pays less for sending data. – Why are these emissions so unknown to people? – It is abstract and complicated how things are connected. The point of many digital services is to make our lives easier, but then we lose the tangible link we have to things, says Henriksen. Nevertheless, he believes it is important not to paint the industry black. Digitization of services that are currently physical often has a positive impact on the climate. – As developers, we can make choices that make the service more climate-friendly. It’s about being aware that those choices exist, says Henriksen. Since there is increasing digital activity and the use of digital services such as artificial intelligence, Henriksen also believes that the IT industry must focus more on climate and the environment. – When companies have to report on their climate emissions, it will also create awareness among those who create digital services.
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Nature and Youth’s website receives a failing grade from the carbon footprint meter – news Nordland
