Environmental impact of ICTs

The intangibility of the Internet brings forth the challenge of connecting the mobilization and transformation of intangible resources, with tangible environmental impacts.^[1]

Areas of impact

Electronics

Resource extraction: the production of devices requires the Some examples are lithium, cobalt,^[2] and rare earth minerals.
Production of devices:
Electronics disposal:
Datacenters operation: great amounts of water are used for cooling servers, depleting in many cases resources from local communities.^[3]

Land use

Location of data centers in colder regions and near superficial or underground water bodies.

Energy

Data storage
Computing power in resource-intensive processes such as artificial intelligence and the mining of crypto assets. For example,^[4]

Measuring impact

There is a difficulty in the creation of models for measuring the environmental impact of ICTs.

Lack of comparable data.
Lack of measurements or even secrecy regarding the tangible impacts of physical data centers in terms of energy usage, and resource extractions.
There is no roadmap to more sustainable practices.

Initiatives

Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI)^[5]

References

↑ Rousillhe, Gauthier (2021). Towards a Fossil-Free Internet: The Fog of Enactment. Priority areas for research in digital sustainability. The Green Web Foundation. https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/publications/report-fog-of-enactment/
↑ A Power Struggle Over Cobalt Rattles the Clean Energy Revolution—The New York Times. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/20/world/china-congo-cobalt.html
↑ Terraformación, I. L. de. (2022, March 22). Rethinking the status of water in digital technologies. Instituto Latinoamericano de Terraformación. https://terraforminglatam.net/rethinking-the-status-of-water-in-digital-technologies
↑ Hileman, G., & Rauchs, M. (2017). Global Cryptocurrency Benchmark Study. https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/alternative-finance/publications/global-cryptocurrency/
↑ Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance. (n.d.). Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI). Retrieved April 8, 2022, from https://ccaf.io/cbeci/mining_map

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Keywords	carbon footprint, Internet, ICT, climate change, consumer behaviour, energy efficiency, ecological footprint, information technology
SDG	SDG12 Responsible consumption and production
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Language	English ()
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Created	April 6, 2022 by Emilio
Last edit	January 9, 2026 by MetadescriptionsBot
Cite as	"Environmental impact of ICTs". Appropedia. 2022–2026. Retrieved September 29, 2026.
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[fog-1] Rousillhe, Gauthier (2021). Towards a Fossil-Free Internet: The Fog of Enactment. Priority areas for research in digital sustainability. The Green Web Foundation. https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/publications/report-fog-of-enactment/

[cobalt-2] A Power Struggle Over Cobalt Rattles the Clean Energy Revolution—The New York Times. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/20/world/china-congo-cobalt.html

[terraformacion-3] Terraformación, I. L. de. (2022, March 22). Rethinking the status of water in digital technologies. Instituto Latinoamericano de Terraformación. https://terraforminglatam.net/rethinking-the-status-of-water-in-digital-technologies

[cambridge-crypto-4] Hileman, G., & Rauchs, M. (2017). Global Cryptocurrency Benchmark Study. https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/alternative-finance/publications/global-cryptocurrency/

[cambridge-5] Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance. (n.d.). Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI). Retrieved April 8, 2022, from https://ccaf.io/cbeci/mining_map

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