Did you know that surfing the Internet pollutes as much as taking a flight? That’s right—web usage contributes about 3.7% of global CO2 emissions, roughly equivalent to the entire aviation industry. A “typical” website can produce up to 5 grams of CO2 per page view, while more complex or poorly optimized sites can hit 20 grams. In other words, we’re talking about emissions on the scale of a Texas-sized worldwide barbecue—minus the food. Truly disappointing.

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Green hosting: promise or marketing hype?

Many hosting providers call themselves “green,” but behind the scenes, questionable practices lurk:

• Green certificates and greenwashing: Some simply buy renewable energy credits without actually improving their infrastructure. It’s like taking a bath with organic soap and then rolling in a mud puddle .
• Creative offsets: Reforestation in remote areas or unverifiable investments often mask a still significant environmental impact .

That said, there are genuinely eco-conscious providers like GreenGeeks, Kualo, and Eco Web Hosting, which use real renewable energy and high-efficiency infrastructure. And no, I’m not being sponsored to say this—it’s just free advertising, badly executed.

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So, what can you do?

If you have a website or are planning to create one, here are the best practices to make it more sustainable (and less guilty of crimes against humanity and the planet):

1. Choose a truly green hosting provider: Ensure the company uses certified renewable energy and has a clear emissions policy.
2. Optimize your website: Shrink image sizes, eliminate unnecessary scripts, and streamline navigation. This not only reduces environmental impact but also improves user experience .
3. Measure your impact: Tools like Website Carbon Calculator can help you figure out how much “weight” your site adds to the planet.
4. Cut the clutter: If your site has more pop-ups than a carnival, it’s time for a digital declutter.
5. Work with sustainability-conscious professionals: Collaborate with designers or agencies that can guide you toward the right choices and develop a truly sustainable digital product. Experts in this field can help you avoid heavy, unnecessary elements while delivering a lightweight, functional, and goal-aligned website.

Building a sustainable website is not only possible—it can actually become a strength for your brand. You can choose to communicate this strategic decision as part of your online presence, making it more responsible than before.

If you want to learn more, every Wednesday morning you can receive the official The Daily Melon newsletter. Subscribe on Substack and support my information channel. Everything will be in English, and most importantly, it is and will always be free.

Sources:

1. Global Carbon Atlas – Internet’s Global CO2 Emissions (3.7% global data).
2. Website Carbon Calculator – Per Page Visit CO2 Estimates.
3. Greenpeace – Clean Cloud Report (data on green certificates and greenwashing).
4. Carbon Offset Guide – Effectiveness of Carbon Offsetting Projects.
5. W3C – Best Practices for Sustainable Web Development.