Reducing the Internet’s Carbon Footprint Through Green Web Design

The internet’s carbon footprint is 830 million tons of CO2 annually—larger than the entire aviation industry—and is estimated to double by 2020. Meanwhile, only 13% of energy is generated from renewable sources within the U.S.

The path to a greener internet lies in the hands of internet professionals and website owners around the globe. Green web design is a growing movement that prioritizes energy efficient websites and green hosting as key components in managing the environmental impact of the internet.

This session will accomplish the following objectives:

• Expose attendees to the growing concerns over the internet's carbon footprint, including factors such as increased mobile device usage and the rise of the Internet of Things
• Outline the key concepts of green web design for both technical and business-minded attendees
• Demonstrate specific examples of how green web design can be implemented using Drupal
• Explain the positive byproducts of green web design, such as increased user engagement and search engine traffic

This session is most applicable to front end developers, site builders and website owners, although anyone involved in creating or maintaining websites is encouraged to attend. Attendees do not need any prior knowledge of Drupal or web development to benefit from this session.