The technology sector’s dialogue around carbon emissions tends to focus on data centers. New research has revealed that reality is far more complicated. Yet only 16 percent of that embodied carbon comes from data centers, devices making up a staggering 45 percent of that share. This change in perspective makes it more important than ever to redefine sustainability metrics. As our dependence on digital devices increases, the need for updating our standards does too.
A recent report by McKinsey highlights that device operations account for just 15 percent of overall emissions. By comparison, data center operations represent 24 percent. As the issues become more national, so do the solutions. We need to expand our scope. The massive carbon footprint of devices dwarfs that of data centers.
The problem is equally compounded by the dangerous manufacturing processes used to create these devices. About 75 percent of the total device emissions come from manufacturing or embodied carbon. This surprising phenomenon leads to deep questions about the way we measure and approach sustainability in Silicon Valley.
The Scale of Device Emissions
To paint a picture of the amount of emissions produced by devices, let’s take a look at the numbers involved in smartphone production. The emissions created by manufacturing one smartphone are about 50 kg CO2 equivalent (CO2e). Just think about this for a second—every year, 1 billion smartphones get retired. This jaw-dropping figure results in the emission of approximately 50 million tonnes of CO2e just from smartphone production.
Laptops present a similar story. The entire manufacturing process for a typical laptop results in the creation of around 200 kg CO2e. There are more than 2 billion laptops currently in use worldwide. Keeping in mind that replacement cycles are usually two to three years, modest improvements in device lifespan can significantly lower carbon emissions.
According to McKinsey’s 2022 report, devices are responsible for 1.5 to 2 times the carbon emitted by all data centers combined. Conservatively, devices themselves account for 1.5 times more than data centers—which highlights just how big of a problem this is. Devices alone make up more than 50% of the total IT-related emissions. More specifically, they are 60 percent and data centers account for the other 40 percent.
The Importance of Extending Lifecycles
The implications of these findings are profound. Just extending smartphone lifecycles from two years to three years would make a big difference. It would reduce annual manufacturing emissions by a remarkable 33 percent. This seemingly small change is a great example of how small shifts in consumer habits can lead to big wins for our environment.
For laptops, life extensions like these would be just as impactful in reducing their carbon footprint. Today, an estimated 2+ billion laptops exist in the physical world. By slowing their replacement cycles even modestly, we can achieve huge emissions reductions.
Initiatives such as Microsoft’s GreenSKUs show that there are paths forward to do better. According to these initiatives, businesses can realize reductions in embodied carbon of at least 8 percent. This innovative approach provides a powerful model that other organizations can follow to figure out how to innovate to cut their carbon footprints in half.
Rethinking Sustainability Metrics
As our industry continues to progress, it will need to reassess how it quantifies savings in sustainability and carbon emissions. Current practices focus on data centers almost exclusively, leaving out the fact that devices play a much larger role in overall emissions. Contrary to industry claims, data centers produce just 24 percent of total emissions. To see changes to this equation, companies and policymakers must turn their attention to device manufacturing, which accounts for a more substantial 40% share.
Data centers are a key factor in emissions from IT. They are responsible for 40 percent of embodied carbon and 60 percent of carbon from operations. When put in context, this is minuscule compared to the effect of devices. It is imperative that stakeholders consider the entire lifecycle of technology products, from manufacturing through disposal, to create comprehensive strategies for reducing carbon footprints.