A digital maker learning to tread lighter
Everything we make leaves a trace. The sites I build, the code I write, the files I store. Even the cloud sits somewhere on earth, humming quietly in a data centre using power and water.
It’s easy to forget that the digital world still lives in the physical one. I don’t want to ignore that.
What I’m doing about it
Tracking and offsetting efforts began in October 2025.
Through 1ClickImpact, I’ve started giving something back. For every client invoice that goes out, part of it goes toward planting trees, removing ocean waste, and capturing carbon. The running total lives in the footer as a quiet reminder that impact can be measured, not just promised.
I also test sites through the Website Carbon™ Calculator to understand their environmental impact. It helps me write more efficient code, reduce waste in the build process, and design with performance in mind. Each project is a chance to make the web a little lighter on the planet.
Why it matters
If the internet were a country, it would rank among the largest polluters. Every click travels through a chain of machines drawing on energy. We can’t see it, but it’s there.
Sustainability in tech isn’t just about offsets. It’s about building with care. Lighter code. Smaller images. Fewer requests. Choosing hosts that run on renewables.
I see it the same way I see nature. Everything is connected, even the quiet parts we overlook.
Helpful tools
If you want to understand or reduce your own digital footprint, these tools can help.
Measure your footprint
- Website Carbon™ Calculator: Paste any URL and get a quick estimate in grams CO₂ per page view.
- Digital Beacon: More granular breakdown (images, scripts, fonts) and lets you compare first-visit vs return visit.
- GreenFrame: A developer tool you can integrate into your CI to continuously monitor and compare carbon emissions of builds.
Offset through action
- 1ClickImpact: Turns everyday business activity into measurable environmental impact.
- Digital Humani: Reforestation-as-a-service API that links digital actions to real trees planted.
- Digital Carbon Online: Measures full-site digital carbon impact and integrates with offset/removal services.
Host and build greener
- The Green Web Foundation: Find hosting providers powered by renewable energy.
- Sustainable Web Design Guide: Practical principles for building faster, lighter, and more responsible websites.
A quiet invitation
If you run a business or solo project, consider tracking and offsetting your own digital footprint. It’s simple, transparent, and grows with your work.
We can’t undo what’s already built. But we can choose to build the next part better.