Carbon Neutral Websites

Simple actions, such as signing up for the CO2 Neutral Website initiative, can have a very real impact on both the environment and brand reputation and loyalty.

UPDATE FEB 2016

It’s been a little over a year since we signed up to the Carbon Neutral Website scheme and we recently had an update on the program from the founders.

According to Erik Sommer, Initiator of the program, they have been “involved in the building of several new windmills reducing the need of coal based power plants… and, supported a project saving rainforest in South America.” They are also engaged in a project to help nearly 18,000 families get energy efficient stoves in Kenya.

Over the course of the program so far, CO2 Neutral Websites has neutralised 12,000 tons of carbon dioxide, a figure based on a calculation of emissions from participating websites using the following criteria:

• Energy consumption of the web server
• Energy consumption from transferring data from server to users
• Energy consumption with the user of the website (computer, screen, routers, modem etc.)

If you’re keen to get your own geek on, you can check out more details about the method used for the calculation in this download; it certainly appears that they have opted for a conservative method, ensuring that website emissions are fully neutralised.

Registration is no longer free and prices start from AU$349, depending on your number of monthly page views. CO2 Neutral Websites say “it is not our intention to reallocate the companies’ resources for climate efforts on other areas to this initiative”, but it certainly seems to us to be a simple step to address one area of emissions.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE FEBRUARY 2015

Good Business Matters recently signed up to the Carbon Neutral Website initiative; a program that aims to offset CO2 emissions based on the number of visitors to each subscribed website. It’s currently free to sign up, an opportunity made possible by funding from the Danish Government, a global leader in climate change protection and readiness (shame about the country at the bottom of list).

Of particular interest to us is the diversity of projects used by the group to help reduce carbon emissions; they are not simply offsetting carbon dioxide through planting some trees, but building renewable energy sources, helping to provide efficient stoves, and advocating for rainforest conversation too.

How this program will progress and develop over time remains to be seen, but for now we are happy to be a part of it and we’ll report back on how everything’s going as we learn more about the program.