COP Websites: A Growing Digital Carbon Footprint

A study highlights the increasing carbon emissions of UN COP conference websites. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh found emissions have surged by over 13,000% since the first COP in 1995. Suggestions include optimizing site designs and using renewable energy to reduce digital footprints.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have revealed that the carbon footprint of websites for the UN Conference of the Parties (COP) has significantly increased, now emitting up to 10 times more carbon than standard web pages.

The analysis, which examined data from web archives, discovered that since the first COP in 1995, the emissions from these websites have amplified by over 13,000%. This spike is attributed to the extensive use of multimedia and higher computational requirements.

The research suggests measures for mitigating this environmental impact, such as optimizing website sizes and employing renewable energy-based hosting. These steps aim to address often-overlooked digital carbon costs, especially crucial for conferences focused on climate discussions.

(With inputs from agencies.)