According to the UNDP, digital technologies are projected to become the second-largest contributor to climate change, just behind the USA. By 2040, the digital industry could be responsible for a staggering 14% of global emissions. While the evolution and widespread adoption of digital technology have brought numerous benefits and advancements to people worldwide, both for the better and sometimes worse, the environmental consequences often go unnoticed by us as users and designers.
"The Internet is a finite system. The miniaturization that led advances in computing for decades (Moore’s Law) is coming to an end. Thus, energy efficiency cannot be the only solution: an absolute decrease in energy consumption is necessary...Scenarios in which ICT is powered by renewable energy and we can continue to consume all we want are unlikely.”