Sustainability in Digital Marketing: The Cloud, Ads and Greenwashing
We're all familiar with this notification.
"iCloud Storage Is Full. Photos, videos and iCloud drive are no longer updating."
Oh look, it's Apple once again finding ways to grab a few dollars off you every month so that you can store 50 extra screenshots in your camera roll (that you'll probably never look at again).
But when was the last time you considered this data as a real, physical thing?
These photos we take rarely find their way into a physical photo album to collect dust on a shelf, so many of us never consider them to take up 'real’ space other than on our phones.
Well, that's not exactly correct. Let's explore 'the cloud'.
The Cloud Isn't a Real Place...It's Places!
Most of us store data in the cloud. For example, Apple's iCloud.
By definition from Cloudflare, "The cloud" refers to servers that are accessed over the Internet, and the software and databases that run on those servers. Cloud servers are located in data centres all over the world."
In New Zealand last year, Google joined Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS), announcing the creation of local cloud computing resources in Aotearoa.
So, What's The Environmental Impact?
In a very interesting article on The Staggering Ecological Impacts of Computation and the Cloud Anthropologist Steven Gonzalez Monserrate paints an emotional picture of the cloud as a material, ecological force.
"As it continues to expand, its environmental impact increases, even as the engineers, technicians, and executives behind its infrastructures strive to balance profitability with sustainability. " he writes.
"The Cloud now has a greater carbon footprint than the airline industry. A single data centre can consume the equivalent electricity of 50,000 homes."
Cooling Non-Stop
As most of the world struggles to regulate temperatures in their homes with the rising cost of power – and living - very different power use is happening in these data centres. Perfect on a hot day, you'll find these rooms blast freezing cold air nonstop so that they don't overheat. Just like the computer rooms of your primary school.
If these servers overheat it is catastrophic for the companies running them, who can lose thousands of dollars by the minute when servers are down.
In most data centres today, cooling accounts for greater than 40 per cent of electricity usage.
Pledge for a Greener Future
The good news is that Google, Amazon and Facebook are on it. They pledge to transition their sites to carbon-neutral via offsetting. They also pledge to invest in wind and solar energy renewables. However, small data centres do not have this option as it's a big stretch financially, so many opt to merge with the data giants to save power – and costs.
Sustainability in Digital Marketing
As social media and digital marketers in Auckland, New Zealand and all over the world, we need to be conscious of how much data we are storing, saving and hoarding. Not to mention the environmental impact of each post, like and share.
It's not just our personal data use that's leaving a footprint. Our digital marketing efforts are just as guilty. According to Forbes, the digital advertising industry could exceed 1 million tons per year of CO2 emissions.
It's worth looking into carbon calculators that are currently being developed for digital marketing agencies to calculate the carbon footprint of their campaigns. Check out Good-Loop and AdGreen.
It's important to avoid "greenwashing," pretending to be environmentally friendly when you're not at all. “Holding businesses accountable for their marketing messages is another way the industry is helping move environmental initiatives forward.” says Forbes.
Small Things Can Make Change
As knowledge about digital's impact on the environment comes up, it’s important for businesses to remain transparent about what they are – and aren't – doing to help.
Be conscious about what you are posting. Focus on quality over quantity. Don't just write up a quick post to meet your monthly target. Ensure everything you write, create and share is of high value. Will your audience get value from it?
The plus side of this is you'll get way more engagement on your content. Thoughtful digital marketing delivers amazing results compared to spam.
Want help with social media and digital marketing? We've got you. Get in touch with Matter Agency today, contact us.