All you need to know about the carbon impact of email

The technological revolution has completely changed communication techniques and methods. Digitization has also enabled us to limit the use of paper. Despite the emergence of social networks (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok…) email remains the preferred communication channel in all sectors.

The figures on email are astonishing and impressive. More than 300 billion e-mails are sent every day, and the number of e-mail users continues to grow: 4 billion worldwide and 43 million in France, i.e. over 60% of the population.

Like any technology, email offers many advantages. It also has its drawbacks and, above all, a significant impact on nature.

What is the carbon footprint?

You’ve probably heard of the carbon footprint of human activity. This is an indicator that enables us to measure the impact of various activities, in particular greenhouse gas emissions, on the planet. An email sent or received requires electricity to run servers, computers… so it generates pollution.

What is the scale of e-mail pollution?

It is estimated that a company with 100 employees, each of whom sends and receives around 100 e-mails a day, emits 13.6 tonnes of greenhouse gases.

The impact of email on the environment is significant. More than 870 tonnes of CO2 are generated every day, equivalent to the amount of CO2 generated by a car traveling more than 190 times around the Earth.

But that’s not all! A weekly e-mail marketing campaign aimed at 500,000 Internet users generates 900 kg of CO2/year.

You guessed it! Limiting the carbon footprint of e-mails is no longer a choice, but rather a necessity.

The email carbon footprint in figures!

– 0.5 grams of CO2 for a spam ;

– 5 grams of CO2 for an email without attachment;

– 10 grams of CO2 for an email with an attachment ;

– 24 W/h is the energy cost for each 1MB email;

– 30,000 emails are unnecessarily stored by each Internet user;

– Data centers produce more than 0.4% of greenhouse gases.

How can I reduce the carbon footprint of my emails?

You’ve certainly asked yourself this question! Do you care about the environment and want to support efforts to curb climate change? A few simple gestures can effectively and sustainably reduce your carbon footprint.

– Reduce the size of attachments: The larger the e-mail and the more digital information it contains, the greater its carbon footprint. We therefore advise you to compress multimedia files (video, audio, image) before sending them.

– Deleting old email addresses: Do you have several email addresses? It’s better to permanently delete addresses you no longer use. Always remember that receiving an email also generates greenhouse gases!

– Clean up your inbox: Regularly cleaning up your inbox can help reduce pollution. You also need to learn how to sort your inbox. Several online applications make this task easier. So why not make the most of it!

– Fight spam: Spam or unwanted mail continues to invade our inboxes, both personal and professional. Spam represents a major risk, not only for IT security, but also for the environment.

Millions of spam messages are sent/received every day. The environmental impact of spam is considerable. Sending and receiving these emails consumes a phenomenal amount of energy (over 33 billion KWh or 33 TWh per year). What’s more, a single piece of junk mail generates between 0.3 and 0.5 grams of CO2.

It’s not enough to ignore these emails. It is necessary to block them with e-mail security software. Using SaaS antispam filtering software like Altospam is a responsible, eco-friendly and easy-to-implement gesture!

More than 70% of emails received are spam. Receiving 10 spam messages a day pollutes as much as driving 50 km. The ALTOSPAM solution enables you not only to ensure your IT security and unclutter your mailbox, but also to make an extremely important gesture for our planet, for the benefit of future generations.