Small adjustments in work behavior reduce CO₂ emissions

Email and CO₂: Why those daily messages have impact

Emails seem harmless, but unknowingly contribute to a high carbon footprint. Each email sent with text produces an average of 4 grams of CO₂, and an email with an attachment runs as high as 50 grams of CO₂. On an annual basis, this can add up considerably. With a few adjustments, you as an organization can contribute to lower emissions and work towards a more sustainable pattern of behavior.

The footprint of an emailing employee

Let's make this insight a little more tangible. Suppose an employee receives and sends 40 emails per day. That's about 10,000 emails on an annual basis, which amounts to about 49 kilograms of CO₂. To compare:

• Car trip of 100 kilometers - emissions are comparable to a car trip of 100 kilometers, or twice up and down from The Hague to Rotterdam.
• A year's worth of coffee breaks - comparable to using 400 disposable coffee cups.
• Bingewatching - the same as streaming 335 episodes of a series, such as "The Big Bang Theory."

With these insights, the impact of our digital behavior suddenly becomes a lot more concrete. For larger organizations, such as the government with 120,000 employees, this becomes an immense source of emissions.

Three simple steps for more sustainable email use

Fortunately, there are practical steps any employee can take to reduce the carbon footprint of emails. Here are three effective solutions:

1. Use links instead of attachments - Adding a hyperlink instead of an attachment reduces emissions per e-mail from 50 to 4 grams of CO₂. Not only more sustainable, but also more efficient for the recipient.
2. Send fewer emails with repetitive information - Carelessly sent emails often create follow-up emails and unnecessary data flow. By carefully drafting emails and double-checking for completeness, you avoid follow-up messages and indirectly reduce emissions.
3. Delete unnecessary emails and data - Worldwide, 2.3 billion people use email daily. If each user deleted just ten unwanted emails, it would save about 39,000 tons of CO₂ worldwide. This is because storing and managing data takes a lot of energy, which quickly adds up without maintenance.

Sustainable email use: one small step, big impact

Sustainability starts with awareness. Even if the savings may seem small at first glance, the impact of email use can have significant impact on many employees on a large scale. With small behavioral adjustments, such as smartly handling e-mail attachments and deleting unnecessary data, organizations can contribute to a healthier environment.

Want to make sustainability a priority in your organization, too? Start with a work behavior analysis and discuss with your team what simple steps you can take together to reduce emissions.

Want to encourage sustainable behavior change in your organization? WorkBoost's software gives employees a simple and practical way to learn how to work more sustainably. Our personalized microlearnings and real-time feedback help teams make conscious sustainable choices. Find out how WorkBoost can support your organization on the path to a greener work environment.

Want to read more about this? Check out the info from the central government: Daily data traffic is polluting: what can be done differently?