Digital technology is now part of our everyday lives, but its use has an environmental impact that is often overlooked. The manufacture of devices, data storage and online activities consume natural resources and energy. By extending the lifespan of our devices and adopting more sustainable digital practices, we can help reduce our environmental footprint.
The AI market is booming and is expected to reach an estimated value of 5,000 billion dollars by 2033. However, state-of-the-art models such as GPT-5 have a considerable environmental cost. Training just one of these models requires 100 GWh of electricity (enough to power 770,000 households in sub-Saharan Africa for a year) and 1 billion litres of water. They also emit 42,000 tonnes of CO₂e, which requires the equivalent of 40 Central Parks’ worth of trees to offset over a decade, and occupy 1.5 km² of land (the equivalent of 210 football pitches).
For further information: UNU-INWEH-Report-The_Env_Cost_of_AI-2026.pdf
In 2021, Switzerland’s 93 data centres covered nearly 154,000 m², equivalent to 22 football pitches. In 2026, they cover nearly 428,000 m², equivalent to around 60 football pitches – nearly three times as much as five years ago.
They now account for 3.6 per cent of Switzerland’s electricity consumption on their own. According to the 2026 report by Energieschweiz, electricity consumption by commercial data centres could double or even triple by 2030.
Sources: Marché des centres de données en Suisse 2026 et Centres de données en Suisse: consommation et potentiel d’efficacité
Watching one hour of HD streaming video has a much higher carbon footprint (31.7 g CO₂e) than sending 100 emails (4.81 g CO₂e), or even a two-hour Zoom call with 50 people (2.91 g CO₂e).
Downloading content and watching it offline whenever possible therefore helps to significantly reduce one’s digital footprint.
(Source : 2050Today)
Keeping devices for longer and adopting a more moderate approach to digital use can significantly reduce the digital sector’s environmental footprint. Here are a few simple steps you can take.
Protect your devices from knocks, carry out regular updates, and consider repairing, donating or buying refurbished devices before replacing them. For more information, see the City of Geneva’s detailed and handy poster “Extending the life of your devices” (PDF).
Reducing and tidying up your digital data by deleting large or unnecessary files, limiting cloud storage and regularly clearing out emails, apps and duplicates helps to reduce your digital carbon footprint. For more information, see the City of Geneva’s detailed and handy poster “Clearing out your data” (PDF).
Minimise unnecessary emails by consolidating information into a single message, reduce high-definition streaming, and recycle old devices and accessories through dedicated schemes such as NoOPS. Use AI wisely. Some lightweight, task-specific models can consume very little energy and often offer better performance for targeted tasks than large, general-purpose systems.
