In a world increasingly focused on environmental action, 2024 has been a landmark year for digital sustainability – with digital sustainability earning COP29 endorsement and becoming part of the new B-Corp criteria for 2025 and beyond.
Website emissions contribute over 5 million tonnes of CO2e annually – equivalent to the electricity usage of 7.7 million homes. To offset just one year of these emissions would require a forest the size of Greater London.
Here’s how Digital Carbon Online has been driving change throughout this transformative year.
Breaking New Ground
In just the last six months of 2024 we’ve achieved the following milestones:
- Conducted over 4.7 million carbon emission tests
- Analysed nearly 80,000 web pages
- Enabled organisations to achieve potential reductions of 30-90% in their website carbon footprints
Real Results, Real Impact
The numbers tell a compelling story. During the same period, we’ve observed a significant decrease in our clients’ average page emissions:
- At the start of 2024: The average carbon emissions of our clients’ websites ranged between 0.76 and 1.14g CO2e per view.
- At the end of 2024: The average across all our clients had dropped to between 0.68 and 0.86g CO2e per view.
One of our standout success stories saw a remarkable 55.5% reduction in per-page emissions, dropping from 1.03g to 0.46g CO2e per view. These aren’t just statistics – they represent real environmental impact and demonstrate that significant change is possible.
Innovation at Our Core
What sets 2024 apart has been our commitment to innovation. Our unique dual-model methodology has pioneered new approaches to website carbon assessment, offering:
- Sophisticated page-size calculations aligned with Green Web Foundation standards
- Automated carbon intensity timing based on UK energy grid data
- Continuous monitoring and trend analysis across entire websites
- Built-in high-quality carbon removal options through verified near-term projects
Our Clients Lead the Way
We’re privileged to work with forward-thinking organisations who are leading the charge in digital sustainability.
As Sergio Fuentealba, Co-Founder of GrowBetter, notes: “Digital Carbon Online has helped us deliver more value to our clients who need to reduce CO2 emissions by automatically and objectively assessing their full websites.”
Our growing client base includes diverse and environmentally responsible organisations such as:
- Surrey Heath Borough Council
- National Museums Scotland
- Camberley Theatre
- Plus many leading sustainability-focused agencies and their clients including Abstrakt, Growth Animals, Made For The World, Erjjio and GrowBetter.
Walking the Talk
Our commitment to sustainability extends to our own operations. Our platform:
- Operates on green energy hosts
- Processes data during low grid-carbon periods
- Monitors and measures our own service delivery emissions
- Removes all unavoidable emissions through our curated portfolio of carbon removal projects
You can find out more on this topics in our article, Our Green Design Decisions.
Looking Forward: The Growing Importance of Digital Sustainability
As we move into 2025, digital sustainability is becoming increasingly crucial for organisations’ environmental strategies. With growing regulatory pressure from CSRD, CDP, SASB, SBTi, and B Corp certifications, organisations are required to demonstrate comprehensive environmental action – including their digital footprint.
For sustainability-focused brands, website emissions are becoming a key consideration in maintaining authentic environmental credentials. Our Digital Carbon Verified® programme provides independent verification that helps organisations demonstrate their commitment to comprehensive sustainability action.
The future of digital sustainability isn’t just about measurement – it’s about taking verified action that supports genuine environmental claims. Through continuous innovation and our commitment to transparency, we’re helping organisations build more sustainable digital futures.
Take Action Today
Ready to understand and reduce your website’s carbon footprint?
Contact us for a free website carbon footprint assessment and join the growing movement of organisations making their digital presence more sustainable.