Reasons and Strategies for Sustainable Web Development

Over the past 20 years, the internet has experienced a significant expansion, and websites have become more complex. In June 2011, the average web page size was 523 KB, but in May 2022, the median website size was 2,299 KB. Such an increase results in longer loading times, which lead to higher energy consumption. Greenpeace claimed that 7% of global carbon emissions in 2017 were caused by the World Wide Web. Meanwhile, climate change and its effects gained visibility; thus, society became increasingly aware of the impact of the internet’s power consumption. To keep the internet operating, data centres must host servers to ensure that applications and websites are constantly accessible. Jones predicted that the total energy demand for the web would increase from 2,000 TWh to over 9,000 TWh by 2030. Data centres account for the largest volume of consumption. If the internet were a country, it would rank sixth in carbon emissions, directly after Germany. Web 2.0 is a major contributor to the emergence of the internet, as it is commonly referred to today. It provides a focus on the web as a platform and offers possibilities for collaboration, functionality, different applications, and user-generated input. In 2006, the term Web 2.0 appeared for the first time. However, the term Web 2.0 has lost its meaning. The terms “web”, “internet”, and “social media” are now used synonymously and describe interactive internet content. This bachelor’s thesis analyses sustainability and green web development. It investigates how sustainable web applications can be developed to consider environmental, social, and sustainable perspectives. This work aimed to determine how sustainable the internet is with respect to web development in terms of climate neutrality. A quantitative study was undertaken to analyse current data from digital, creative, and web agencies, resulting in a comparison of working methods and perspectives in relation to sustainability regarding web development.

The thesis consists of three sections:
• An introduction to theoretical principles
• A quantitative questionnaire
• The evaluation of strategies based on theoretical concepts and the questionnaire

The first section of the thesis discusses the literature based on theoretical foundations. Subsequently, the empirical part of the paper considers the collection and analysis of a quantitative survey. The final chapter outlines possible strategies and methods based on empirical results and theoretical considerations. Glaser (2023)

Sustainable web development guide line

Sustainable Web Development: A Guide to Building Eco-Friendly Websites

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the impact that our digital lives have on the environment. From the energy used by data centers to the carbon footprint of our devices, the internet is far from a green technology. However, as web developers, we have the power to make a positive difference. By implementing sustainable web development practices, we can create websites that are both beautiful and eco-friendly.

What is Sustainable Web Development?

Sustainable web development is the practice of creating websites that are designed to minimize their environmental impact. This includes everything from reducing the energy consumption of web servers to optimizing code to use fewer resources. Sustainable web development is about more than just building websites that are visually appealing and user-friendly; it's about building websites that are environmentally responsible.

Why is Sustainable Web Development Important?

There are several reasons why sustainable web development is important. First, the internet is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. According to a study, the internet is responsible for approximately 1.8–3.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, the internet, web servers, and computers cause more climate damage than air travel, which generated 3.01% of global CO₂ emissions in 2018. By implementing sustainable web development practices, we can help to reduce the carbon footprint of the internet.

Second, sustainable web development can help to improve the performance of websites. By optimizing code and reducing the amount of data that needs to be transmitted, we can create websites that load faster and use less bandwidth. This not only improves the user experience but also reduces the energy consumption of web servers.

Finally, sustainable web development is simply the right thing to do. As web developers, we have a responsibility to use our skills and knowledge to create websites that are both functional and environmentally responsible.

How to Build an Eco-Friendly Website

So, how do you go about building an eco-friendly website? First - read my thesis about Reasons and strategies for sustainable web development in Web 2.0. Next, here are a few tips to get you started:

Choose a Sustainable Web Host

The web host you choose can have a big impact on the environmental footprint of your website. Look for a web host that uses renewable energy, such as wind or solar power, to power their data centers. You can also look for hosts that have taken steps to reduce their energy consumption, such as using energy-efficient cooling systems.

Optimize Code and Reduce Page Weight

Optimizing your code and reducing the weight of your web pages can help to improve the performance of your website and reduce its environmental impact. This includes minimizing the use of unnecessary scripts and plugins, compressing images and other media, and using efficient coding practices.

Optimize Images

Images can have a significant impact on the environmental footprint of a website. According to a study by the Website Carbon Calculator, images can account for up to 64% of a website's carbon emissions.

To reduce the environmental impact of images, there are several steps that web developers can take:

Compress images: Compressing images can significantly reduce their file size without sacrificing quality. This not only helps to improve the performance of the website but also reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted, thus reducing the energy consumption of web servers.
Use appropriate image formats: Different image formats have different levels of compression and quality. For example, JPEGs are great for photographs, while PNGs are better for images with text or sharp lines. By using the appropriate image format for each image, you can reduce their file size and improve their quality. WebP and AVIF are two image formats that have been developed in recent years as alternatives to PNG and JPG. Both of these formats offer several advantages over traditional image formats in terms of sustainability and performance. WebP is an image format developed by Google that uses advanced compression techniques to reduce the file size of images. WebP images are typically 26% smaller than PNGs and 25-34% smaller than JPGs, which means they use less bandwidth and require less energy to transmit. This not only improves the performance of the website but also reduces the energy consumption of web servers. Additionally, WebP supports transparency and animation, making it a versatile format for web developers. AVIF is a new image format developed by the Alliance for Open Media that uses a next-generation compression algorithm called AV1. AVIF images are typically 50-60% smaller than PNGs and 30-40% smaller than JPGs, which means they use even less bandwidth and require even less energy to transmit than WebP. Additionally, AVIF supports advanced features such as HDR and transparency, making it a great format for high-quality images. By using WebP or AVIF instead of PNG or JPG, web developers can significantly reduce the environmental impact of images on a website. Not only do these formats use less bandwidth and require less energy to transmit, but they also offer advanced features that can enhance the user experience.
Use lazy loading: Lazy loading is a technique that delays the loading of images until they are needed. This can help to reduce the initial load time of the website and reduce the energy consumption of web servers.
Use a content delivery network (CDN): A CDN can help to reduce the energy consumption of web servers by distributing the load across multiple servers. This not only improves the performance of the website but also reduces its environmental impact.

Use Sustainable Design Practices

Sustainable design practices can help to reduce the environmental impact of your website. This includes using a minimalist design that uses fewer resources, such as a white background with black text, as well as using eco-friendly fonts and colors.

Prioritize Accessibility

Creating an accessible website is not only good for users, but it can also help to reduce its environmental impact. This includes using semantic HTML and avoiding unnecessary markup, as well as designing for keyboard navigation and screen readers.

Encourage Sustainable Behavior

Finally, you can encourage sustainable behavior among your users by promoting eco-friendly practices on your website. This includes providing tips for reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions, as well as encouraging users to use public transportation or carpool to events.

Conclusion

Sustainable web development is not just a trend; it's a responsibility. By implementing eco-friendly practices into our web development process, we can help to reduce the environmental impact of the internet while creating beautiful and functional websites. So, let's do our part to create a more sustainable future, one website at a time.