As we look for ways to be more sustainable, one of the more hidden culprits of carbon emissions and energy inefficiency comes from the digital world. We're going online to save paper but this means that we are using more and more energy to power our digital lives. As we embrace ever-more digital we should bear in mind that from an environmentally-friendliness point of view, the digital world is not exempt from improvement! Let's look at some of the reasons why digital emissions and energy use are important and some tips to reduce them.

Did you know that the average email produces somewhere between 0.3g and 4g of carbon; this rises to 50g for emails containing large attachments. We should be polite to each other but if everyone in the UK sent one less unnecessary simple 'thank you' email, we'd collectively save more than 16,400 tonnes of carbon every year! Why not consider adding an email footer that explains why you don’t send unnecessary emails?

It's also important to remember to clear out your inbox and delete unnecessary emails to clear up storage space (your email provider might even had automated deleting system to get rid of outdated and un-used emails after a certain period of time). Data storage can have a big impact on our carbon footprint. There are a number of tools to assess the carbon footprint of our cloud storage, such as the Google Cloud Carbon Footprint calculator. Cutting down on unused, outdated files can clean up a lot of space in the cloud as well as saving money on paying for more storage.

Video calls. We've all got used to them in the last few years and they're certainly a more sustainable choice than travelling by car to an in-person meeting. But they are very energy and carbon intensive so, as with most decisions, can we strike a balance around what can realistically have the biggest benefits?

Have you ever thought about how you browse the internet? 1.5g of CO₂ is produced every time a website is viewed. So it's up to us - charities, businesses and more - to make websites easier to navigate to reduce how much you, the user, has to click around. This is obviously a bonus for the user experience as well as creating a lighter carbon footprint. But you can play your part too. The more you click, the more pages you view, the more energy is used so try to be efficient in how often you browse and what you actually want to view; perhaps don't watch that final cat video (difficult though it may be to switch off). How about when you send attachments or upload photos to social media - try reducing the size first so you're only uploading what's needed. As with most aspects of sustainability, efficiency is key.

At the Trust we're taking a closer look at our digital carbon footprint to see how we can make more sustainable changes in the way we run our digital and online work. There are some quick wins and simple changes can make a big difference but other things will take us a little longer to change. As with many aspects of making more sustainable choices, however, they often come with added benefits to make things easier and more efficient for everyone.