Image showing a windmill and the digital landscape

Digital sustainability: why eco-friendly online platforms are the future of business

The internet relies on a huge network of data centres, fibre cables, and power-hungry devices. Each search, stream, or file transfer draws electricity, much of it still coming from fossil fuels, and all of it adds to the world’s carbon footprint.

The ICT sector accounts for at least 1.7% of global carbon emissions, says the World Bank. When you factor in its vast supply chains, Cornell University puts the figure at 2.1–3.9%. That’s uncomfortably close to aviation, which contributes about 4%.

With two-thirds of the world now online, digital technologies are part of the climate problem, and they must be part of the solution. For businesses, the responsibility is clear: building sustainable digital products isn’t just an ethical choice. It’s a competitive one.

Yet many still treat the internet as invisible. We don’t see the racks of servers, the energy-hungry cooling systems, the rare earth minerals used in devices, or the water-intensive data centres that keep our ‘cloud’ afloat. The result is a perception that digital is automatically greener than physical when in fact, it has a significant environmental footprint of its own.

And regulation is catching up. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will require companies to disclose their climate impact, including the emissions of their digital operations. In the US, the SEC is moving toward ESG disclosure requirements. Increasingly, large organisations will only work with vendors who can demonstrate low-carbon practices across their supply chain. That includes their digital platforms.

In other words: your digital carbon footprint is fast becoming a mainstream KPI. Companies that take digital sustainability seriously will be better positioned with regulators, investors, and customers alike.

At h2o, we see digital sustainability as a cornerstone of modern design and development. As part of our B Corp journey, we are embedding sustainability across everything we build, from eco friendly web design to infrastructure decisions. This blog shares how we think about creating platforms that are lean, efficient, and ready for a low-carbon future.

A laptop with animated symbols suggesting, eco-friendly, renewable energy

Sustainable web design practices that cut carbon

Sustainable web design is no longer a question of visual polish, but a matter of climate impact. Every image, line of code, and navigation choice has an energy cost. Heavy, bloated sites force servers and devices to work harder, driving up carbon emissions. Lean, purposeful design does the opposite: it strips out waste, reduces load times, and lowers energy consumption at every step.

For businesses, this isn’t just an environmental gain. A lighter site means faster performance, better accessibility, and stronger SEO, all of which translate into happier users and higher conversion. In other words: design choices are climate choices, and the most sustainable websites are also the most competitive.

1. Minimalistic design for performance and efficiency

Simplicity is sustainability. Minimalistic design reduces unnecessary elements, streamlines navigation, and lightens data loads. Practices include:

  • Limiting heavy graphics and video backgrounds.
  • Using system fonts or a small font set to reduce requests.
  • Building with lightweight frameworks.

We rebuilt our own site headless with Strapi and Astro.js to avoid client-side bloat. The result is a sustainable website that is fast, accessible, and efficient to run.

2. Efficient coding to reduce waste

Behind every website sits thousands of lines of code. And the way that code is written directly affects how much energy consumption a site generates. Bloated scripts and redundant stylesheets force servers to do extra work and drain more power from users’ devices. By writing lean, efficient code, developers can strip away that waste and cut carbon emissions without sacrificing functionality.

Key practices include:

  • Remove what isn’t used: clear out redundant CSS, JavaScript, and HTML.
  • Shrink what remains: compress files with tools such as Gzip or Brotli.
  • Load only what’s needed: apply lazy loading so images and video appear only when required.
  • Deliver content smartly: use a content delivery network (CDN) to reduce distance and speed up delivery.
     

Efficient coding doesn’t just reduce the environmental footprint of your platform. It also creates faster, cleaner, and more resilient digital experiences. Optimised code means faster page load speed and lower energy consumption, supporting more eco friendly web design overall.

3. Smarter use of media

Media files are the heaviest part of most websites, and the biggest opportunity for impact. Sustainable practices include:

  • Compressing images with WebP or AVIF.
  • Using vector graphics (SVGs) where possible.
  • Streaming video adaptively, matched to user bandwidth.
  • Avoiding autoplay for videos and animations.

Every kilobyte saved reduces a site’s carbon emissions and delivers a smoother experience.

4. Dark mode and colour choices

Dark mode and energy-efficient colour schemes can lower power draw on OLED and AMOLED screens. Offering theme toggles lets users choose what’s best for their device and comfort.

Showing renewable energy windmills

Green hosting and energy efficiency for sustainable websites

A site’s environmental responsibility doesn’t stop at design. Infrastructure matters. Verified green web hosting providers reduce their impact by running data centres on renewable energy or offsetting their carbon emissions.

What to look for in green hosting

  • Renewable energy sourcing: servers powered by wind, solar, or hydro rather than fossil fuels.
  • Efficient hardware: up-to-date servers that draw less electricity, even when they’re not running at full capacity.
  • Recognised standards: hosting companies that can point to clear environmental accreditations, like ISO 14001 or Green-e.
  • Proof, not promises: providers who share hard numbers on their energy use and emissions instead of vague ‘green’ marketing.
  • Smarter locations: data centres built in regions with plenty of renewable energy or naturally cooler climates, where less power is needed for cooling.

Why metrics matter

Not all green hosting is created equal. Some providers rely on renewable energy credits (RECs) rather than directly using clean power. Others disclose little about water usage or cooling strategies. Businesses should demand transparency and prioritise providers who invest in on-site renewables, advanced cooling, and modern hardware.

This isn’t just optics. Hosting decisions feed into ESG reporting, procurement standards, and brand reputation. In sustainability-conscious markets, your choice of host can become a differentiator.

Examples of green hosting providers

  • GreenGeeks – matches energy use with renewable credits.
  • SiteGround – partners with renewable energy initiatives.
  • Kualo – runs on 100% renewable energy and invests in tree planting.

Our own site is currently hosted on DigitalOcean. While the company once had green credentials, it is no longer listed on the Green Hosting Directory. As part of our B Corp commitment, we’re reviewing alternative green web hosting providers to ensure our infrastructure reflects our values.

Showing a data centre

Improving energy efficiency through smarter data management

Data is one of the biggest drivers of a company’s digital carbon footprint. Managing it well doesn’t just save storage costs, but also cuts greenhouse gas emissions.

Cloud computing

Large cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud are investing heavily in renewable energy and better cooling systems. But they also run on a massive scale, which means their overall energy use is huge. When choosing a platform, look for one that is upfront about its energy mix and can show a real commitment to clean power.

Data optimisation

  • Remove unnecessary or outdated files.
  • Use compression and deduplication.
  • Right-size databases and storage tiers.

Edge computing

With edge computing, more of the processing happens close to where the data is produced, rather than being pushed back to a distant central server. The shorter journey means faster responses and less energy wasted in transmission.

digital audit results showing on a laptop screen

Reducing your digital carbon footprint with sustainable practices

Digital sustainability goes beyond design and hosting. Businesses must address how they manage data, workflows, and employee behaviours.

Conducting regular digital audits

A digital audit shines a light on areas where your systems are burning more power than they need to. It might reveal servers running long past their usefulness, duplicate workflows that generate unnecessary data, or outdated software that wastes resources. Addressing these issues can lower costs and cut your environmental footprint at the same time.

Using sustainable digital tools

The right tools can help reduce impact without adding complexity:

  • A website carbon calculator shows how much energy your site consumes per visit, making it easier to spot problem pages.
  • Image and file optimisers keep assets small without hurting quality, speeding up delivery and reducing storage demand.
  • Team platforms that centralise documents and communication cut back on unnecessary travel and paper use.

Choosing and embedding these kinds of tools is a simple way to put sustainable business practices into everyday operations.

Building employee awareness and culture

Employees play a critical role in digital sustainability. Training helps them understand the impact of digital waste, such as leaving machines running overnight or sharing oversized files. Encouraging simple actions (activating power-saving modes, optimising attachments, reducing screen brightness) builds a culture of environmental responsibility.

But training alone isn’t enough. Successful organisations appoint sustainability champions, integrate energy-saving targets into performance reviews, and celebrate team wins in reducing emissions.

At h2o, embedding sustainability in our culture is part of our commitment to our B Corp values, ensuring that responsibility is not just a checklist, but a mindset.

A plant growing out of hands

Future trends and sustainable design principles to watch

Sustainability isn’t static. As technology evolves, so do the opportunities to apply sustainable design principles in new ways. 

AI for sustainability

AI optimises energy use in data centres and can intelligently manage device power. Businesses can pilot AI-driven workload scheduling now to reduce energy draw during peak hours. Over time, AI will also cut emissions in areas such as logistics and predictive maintenance.

Blockchain for renewable energy validation

Blockchain enables transparent tracking of renewable energy credits and peer-to-peer trading. Companies can already explore blockchain pilots to verify renewable sourcing in their supply chains and add credibility to ESG disclosures.

Quantum computing for efficient problem solving

Though still early, quantum computing could eventually solve high-intensity tasks with far less energy. It is unlikely to be mainstream this decade, but keeping a watching brief will ensure first-mover advantage in areas such as logistics and AI optimisation.

At h2o, we see these not as abstract trends but as emerging tools businesses can strategically prepare for. Our role as a sustainable web development partner is to guide clients on what to act on now versus what to monitor for the coming decade.

Sustainable web development as a business advantage

Adopting sustainable web development practices doesn’t just reduce low carbon emissions — it drives business value:

  • Regulatory resilience: stay ahead of ESG disclosure requirements.
  • Operational efficiency: lower hosting and energy costs.
  • Brand strength: meet rising consumer expectations for climate-conscious businesses.
  • Competitive edge: faster, leaner platforms convert better.

Digital sustainability is no longer optional. It is the next measure of quality in web services and web technology.

Showing an image of our team at h2o, outside

Conclusion: h2o’s role in building a sustainable future

The shift to digital sustainability can’t wait. Every year, online activity adds more demand on servers, networks, and energy grids. Businesses that act now by adopting clean and efficient design, choosing green hosting, and optimising data management, cut their impact and also gain faster, leaner, and more cost-effective digital platforms.

At h2o, our B Corp accreditation reflects a commitment to weaving sustainability into every project. We don’t just design for aesthetics, but design for the planet, for performance, and for long-term business resilience.

We see digital sustainability as today’s equivalent of accessibility: a standard no responsible organisation can ignore. Companies that embrace it will be better equipped to meet regulation, strengthen brand trust, and demonstrate real progress on climate goals.

If you're looking to cut your digital carbon footprint and build a website that performs better while treading lighter on the planet, we can help. At h2o, we bring together design, technology, and sustainability to create platforms that deliver for both users and the environment. We invite you to get in touch.