Key figures on the impact of digital technology

Here are a few figures to give you an idea of the impact of digital technology on our planet and humanity.

  • 4%

    gaz à effet de serre

    of greenhouse gases in 2019 came from the internet – this is expected to double by 2025

  • 22kg

    produits chimiques, combustibles et eau

    of chemicals are needed to manufacture a computer + 240 kg of fuel and 1.5 T of water

  • 4ans

    durée de vie moyenne d’un ordinateur

    was the average lifespan of a computer in 2015
    (compared with 11 years in 1985!)

  • 19billion

    objets connectés

    objects are “connected” in 2019 – this number is estimated to rise to 48 billion by 2025

  • 53%

    émissions de CO2

    of CO2e* emissions are due to data centres and network infrastructures
    *CO2 equivalent, a unit that expresses the carbon footprint of other greenhouse gases converted into quantities of CO2

  • 47%

    émissions de CO2

    of CO2e emissions are due to people’s equipment

  • 2years

    durée de vie d'un smartphone

    is the average time before you renew your smartphone

  • 600kg

    matières premières pour un ordinateur

    of raw materials are used to design a 2 kg computer

  • 15%

    électricité mondiale

    of the world’s electricity in 2019 will be consumed by digital technology

     

     

  • 96,3%

    accessibilité des sites internet

    of websites are not accessible from their home page (in France)

  • 20%

    population en situation de handicap

    of the population is disabled in France, and 80% of disabilities are invisible

  • 165times

    pods d'une page web

    for the weight of a web page between 1995 and 2022
    (14Ko in 1995 when it’s 2,3 Mo in 2022)

  • 3times more

    is the energy consumption rate of 4G compared to Wifi

  • Terminals are the biggest impact of digital technology

    63% of greenhouse gas emissions, 75% of the depletion of mineral resources, 60% of energy consumption, 83% of water consumption. Other contributors are networks and data centres.

  • 12billion

    the number of emails exchanged in 1 hour worldwide (excluding spam)