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The Carbon Footprint of Everyday Digital Activities and AI Applications: An In-Depth Look
A study by TRG Datacenters reveals the carbon footprints of everyday digital activities. Streaming video on YouTube or Netflix generates 42 grams of CO2 per hour, while Zoom calls produce 17 grams. AI image generation emits 1 gram per image. The tech sector added 900 million tons of CO2 last year, highlighting the need for cleaner energy in digital infrastructure.
A new study by TRG Datacenters reveals the surprising environmental costs of our daily digital activities. As the world becomes increasingly digital, understanding the carbon footprint of common technologies is crucial in addressing the broader issue of climate change.
From streaming video content to using AI applications, each digital action contributes to the global CO2 emissions. This research measures the energy consumption and CO2 output of various digital activities, providing a clear comparison of how everyday technology stacks up in terms of environmental impact.
Here's a look at the carbon footprint of different digital activities and AI applications:
| Task | Unit | Power Usage per Unit (kWh) | Average CO2 Estimation |
| YouTube streaming | 1 hour, HD | 0.12 | 42 |
| Netflix streaming | 1 hour, HD | 0.12 | 42 |
| Text-to-video generation | short clip, 6-10s | 0.05 | 17.5 |
| Zoom call | 1 Hour | 0.0486 | 17.01 |
| Sending a small email | No attachment short text | 0.0133 | 4.655 |
| AI Image generation | 1 Image | 0.003 | 1.05 |
| AI Voice assistant query | 1 query | 0.0005 | 0.175 |
| Google search | Single Query | 0.0003 | 0.105 |
| AI Chatbot query | 1 prompt | 0.0003 | 0.105 |
| Gemini text prompt | 2 prompt | 0.00024 | 0.084 |
The big carbon culprits: Streaming and video calls
Streaming services like YouTube and Netflix top the list of digital activities with the highest carbon footprint. According to the study, watching one hour of HD video on either platform generates a staggering 42 grams of CO2. This figure places streaming far ahead of other digital tasks, as it requires continuous data transfer and server processing throughout the duration of viewing.
With 0.12 kWh of energy consumption per hour, streaming is by far one of the most energy-intensive digital activities. For context, a daily two-hour streaming habit could result in more than 30 kilograms of CO2 emissions over the course of a year.
A one-hour Zoom call follows closely, generating 17 grams of CO2. This is nearly the same as producing a short AI video clip. The process of encoding, transmitting, and decoding video and audio in real-time during video calls requires 0.0486 kWh of energy per hour, contributing significantly to emissions over time. For example, an hour-long work meeting each day could result in 6 kilograms of CO2 annually.
The energy-intensive nature of video generation
The environmental impact of text-to-video generation also warrants attention. Short video clips, lasting between 6 to 10 seconds, contribute 17.5 grams of CO2. Although the CO2 output for video generation is substantial, it is important to note that the energy use here is significant due to the high computational power needed for creating video content from text. This makes text-to-video generation one of the more carbon-heavy AI applications in daily use.
Lesser known digital actions still add up
Other everyday digital activities also contribute to the total CO2 emissions, though they may seem less impactful. For instance, sending a short email without attachments generates 4.7 grams of CO2.
While this might seem insignificant, when considering the billions of emails sent daily, the global environmental impact of email traffic becomes apparent. Someone sending 50 emails per day could account for 85 kilograms of CO2 annually, just from this simple activity.
On a smaller scale, AI image generation produces 1 gram of CO2 per image, which is about 10 times more than asking a question to an AI chatbot. While the footprint is relatively small compared to streaming or video creation, the growing popularity of AI-powered tools does add up when used frequently.
Similarly, AI voice assistant queries generate 0.175 grams of CO2 per question, and Google searches or chatbot queries produce 0.105 grams of CO2 each. These smaller emissions still contribute to the total CO2 generated by our online actions.
The lightest footprint: Gemini text prompts
Among all the activities measured, Gemini text prompts represent the least environmental cost, with each two-prompt action producing just 0.084 grams of CO2. This is a minimal carbon footprint, which showcases how different AI models contribute differently to environmental impact.
The relatively small energy usage of Gemini queries (0.00024 kWh for two prompts) makes it one of the most efficient AI tools in terms of carbon output.
The global impact of digital technology
As the world increasingly relies on digital technology, its collective environmental impact continues to grow. The study highlights that the tech sector added 900 million tons of CO2 to the atmosphere in the last year alone, a number that is expected to exceed 1.2 billion tons by the end of 2025.
This rising figure points to the urgent need for greater attention to the sustainability of digital infrastructure. At present, only 30% of energy used by data centres comes from renewable sources. However, there is a significant opportunity for change.
If the energy share from renewables were to increase to 80% or 90%, the carbon footprint of every digital activity could be reduced by more than half, without requiring changes in user behaviour.
A call for sustainable digital practices
“The tech sector added roughly 900M tons of CO2 to the atmosphere in the last year, comparable to the annual emissions of Germany,” says the TRG Datacenters spokesperson.
“By the end of 2025, that number is expected to exceed 1.2 billion tons. The issue isn't whether we use technology (that's inevitable) but how we power it. Right now, only about 30% of datacenter energy comes from renewables. If we all gather efforts, and get that to 80% or 90%, we would cut the carbon footprint of every digital activity by more than half, without anyone changing their behavior.”
As digital technology continues to advance and become further integrated into our daily lives, it is critical to be aware of its environmental costs. Every action, no matter how small, has an impact on the planet. By supporting initiatives to shift to cleaner energy sources and adopting more sustainable practices, we can mitigate the environmental consequences of the technologies we rely on daily.
