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Digital sustainability guide for tech practitioners
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  1. Introduction
  2. Assess your initial impressions
  3. Personal footprint and agency
  4. Your organization's impact
    1. Digital subsystems
    2. Digital dynamics
    3. Local impact
  5. Survey
  6. Certificate

The subject of sustainable ICTs is intricate. First, because the Internet is very complex, and because sustainability is hard to measure. This quiz will open the discussion by exploring some of your previous knowledge and assumptions regarding sustainable digital technologies. It will also help by introducing some of the inventory elements we'll discuss later in this guide.

Note! The questions on this quiz are meant to be tricky to make you think hard about these issues, so if you disagree with any of the answers, that's okay! If you have any feedback or recommendations, please add them to our discussion page.

1 Using digital systems will always lead to a reduced environmental impact of related physical activities. For example, buying online will help reduce the physical carbon footprint associated with shopping.

true
false

2 Using data centers for software development and deployment is usually more energy-efficient than maintaining a local server.

true
false

3 If a computer is never turned on, its carbon footprint will be zero.

true
false

4 The environmental impact of a digital system is only associated with its hardware and none around its software.

true
false

5 As computers become more efficient, due to Moore's Law, data centers and digital systems will surely reduce the Internet's energy usage.

true
false

6 Switching your laptop or smartphone regularly for more energy-efficient alternatives can help reduce your environmental impact.

true
false

7 Once electronics stop working, they stop producing a carbon footprint.

true
false

8 Working from home helps reduce the carbon footprint of a tech team, as opposed to working at an office.

true
false

9 The development and adoption of innovative digital systems can lead to negative social and environmental impact in communities, in aspects such as access to land or water.

true
false

10 Wireless systems such as the Internet of Things increase society's carbon footprint.

true, because more devices will consume energy to operate.
true, because data routing systems are needed to transport information
true, because more minerals are extracted to manufacture electronic chips
true, because their life span is shorter and will quickly become obsolete
false, because the overall amount of digital systems remains equal


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Keywords climate change, icts
SDG SDG12 Responsible consumption and production, SDG07 Affordable and clean energy
Authors Emilio Velis
License CC-BY-SA-4.0
Organizations Green Web Foundation
Language English (en)
Related 0 subpages, 13 pages link here
Aliases Carbon footprint guide for tech practitioners/Assess your initial impressions
Impact 309 page views
Created May 12, 2022 by Emilio Velis
Modified January 29, 2024 by Felipe Schenone
Cite as Emilio Velis (2022–2024). "Digital sustainability guide for tech practitioners/Assess your initial impressions". Appropedia. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
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