Why tech companies must address emissions caused by streaming and scrolling.

Technology companies have been having a difficult year. The increased cost of living is turning people away from streaming, cryptocurrencies are faltering, Amazon has raised its prime membership costs, as has Twitter for its premium subscription model Twitter Blue. The latter’s ongoing legal wranglings with Elon Musk have also called the platform’s valuation and future product offering into question.

Not long ago, these companies were untouchable, but the most recent tech bubble seems to have burst. So, this is a good time to reflect on what these companies have offered to the world. They have certainly enabled fast access to film and TV, global conversations and perhaps even a challenge to status quo economics via digital currencies. But what about their environmental impact?

As we enter a new era for the tech sector, combined with rising demand for businesses to be more climate aware, these companies will need to consider how technology affects the environment. Research estimates that e-waste – discarded electrical items, from chargers to photocopiers – could double between 2014 and 2030. And new regulations have begun tackling this physical waste, including chargers and device repairs. But, to reduce the world’s digital carbon footprint, these efforts need to go beyond the physical to include the impact of data use on the environment as well.

You’ve probably heard that cryptocurrencies are bad for the environment due to the huge volumes of energy used to “mine” or produce digital currencies. One study found it can consume more energy than mining an equivalent amount (by market value) of actual minerals like copper, gold or platinum. Other estimates show the buying and trading of bitcoin generates 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.