Campaigning for more responsible technologies, Arcep has just published a series of recommendations on the eco-design and energy consumption of digital products. Not sure that these good intentions will be enough to change things…
For reasons of efficiency, economy and ecology, our society is moving towards the digitalization of services. But if this can be considered as a driver of the decarbonization of certain other sectors, the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector – which includes computer science, audiovisual, Internet and telecommunications techniques – must also make efforts to reduce its impact, which is far from zero! According to a study by Ademe and Arcep, digital technology currently represents 2.5% of the carbon footprint in France, and it is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050 if no measures are taken.
It is the devices that make up the largest part of this carbon footprint, especially those that are most commonly used, such as smartphones or computers. Beyond greenhouse gas emissions, the digital sector is responsible for other forms of environmental impacts such as the depletion of metals and minerals, water consumption and the production of electronic waste. Therefore, in order to stem this increase in the footprint of digital services, it is important to implement eco-design in the creation of the product or service in order to improve its environmental performance.
As the European Commission is currently preparing non-legislative acts on the ecodesign and energy labelling of computers, and is expected to publish a new Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Working Plan for 2025-2026 soon, Arcep publishes some proposals developed on the basis of its work on sustainability. The objective is clear: to integrate virtuous practices in terms of minimizing the environmental footprint from the design stage.
Eco-design of digital services: three major axes
Ecodesign refers to the integration of environmental characteristics into product design with a view to improving the environmental performance of the product throughout its life cycle. The aim is to minimise its energy and resource consumption as much as possible, by using only the minimum necessary for its operation and by sending only the right amount of information. Based on its work on sustainability carried out since 2019, Arcep proposes three measures:
- Mitigate software obsolescence of computers by ensuring long-term support for their operating systems;
- Adopt a global approach to ICT eco-design policies by extending the requirements to digital services;
- Extend ecodesign requirements and energy labelling to other sectors of the economy.
The scope of the framework is vast. Servers, terminals, internet boxes, operator networks, data centers, software infrastructures and more generally digital services are concerned. This therefore concerns websites as well as APIs, operating systems, artificial intelligence systems, blockchain registers, streaming platforms and all other online services.
Ecodesign of digital services: combating obsolescence
The first point concerns the design of more sustainable digital services. The manufacturing phase of electronic devices, but also of data centers and networks, represents almost 80% of the digital carbon footprint. Therefore, any action that allows us to extend their lifespan and reduce the high renewal rate is of paramount importance, putting an end to obsolescence.
This includes keeping digital services usable on older models of devices. For example, computer manufacturers and distributors could be required to maintain the operating systems they choose to pre-install on their devices, by providing free security updates essential for their use, for a period of ten years from the end of the installation of the system on the computer. In this way, it would be possible to continue using the device safely.
Also, to force manufacturers and distributors to make efforts, Arcep is in favor of energy labeling of computers, like a durability or repairability index. Note that such an index exists at the national level and is being implemented at the European level.
Eco-design of digital services: adapted performance
Digital services, which Arcep calls “intangible products”also have an environmental footprint. “When consumers access a digital service such as an application, it is through the use of multiple devices as well as the use of networks or data centers for Internet connection, calculation or data storage. Of course, these digital infrastructures need energy, emit greenhouse gases and also require raw materials for their construction.”the organization explains in its report. Also, environmental issues should be taken into account in the design of services.
Thus, publishers should be encouraged to ensure that their service can be used on older devices with suitable performance, by adapting the service to the context of use and viewing (definition, use of touch, keyboard, etc.). It would also be a question of allowing users to fully control their use of digital services by limiting attention-grabbing techniques, which can lead to overconsumption, such as scrolling or auto-play designs – hello TikTok! Finally, Arcep calls for “encourage greater environmental transparency of digital services by encouraging players to publish more data on the footprint of their services and their ecodesign performance”.
Eco-design of digital services: providing information on the consumption of boxes and decoders
In order to “supporting the greening of European economies, while promoting consumer awareness of the differentiated environmental impact of their products”Arcep invites the European Commission to consider including in its frameworks all digital products with significant environmental impacts, such as routers and decoders, in order to act on their energy consumption. In fact, few users are really aware of the electricity consumption of these devices that have invaded the roads and that operate several hours a day, when not permanently, as in the case of Internet boxes and Wi-Fi routers. It is high time that manufacturers and operators clearly informed users on this point, especially since it weighs directly on their energy bills and therefore their wallets!
However, this text, full of good intentions but without any real practical application, is absolutely not binding: it is simply a matter of recommendations. France cannot do anything alone, because a large part of digital consumption depends on foreign companies. At the very least, we must act on a European scale to be able to impose certain criteria on products and services whose access would be refused to European territory if they were not satisfactory.