We aspire to play an active role in creating
a more ethical, respectful and sustainable digital world.
A digital world is anything but invisible and unaccountable.
Far from leading us towards ‘dematerialization’, the digital realm is in fact highly material in nature.
It’s grounded in numerous physical resources, which have impacts on individuals and society at three key levels: the manufacturing of digital infrastructures, their usage, and their end-of-life disposal.
The entire lifecycle must be considered when discussing the impact of digital technology.
In an era where we’re talking about climate change and planetary limits, it’s essential to really question our practices.
We do not claim to have exhaustively analyzed all data. However, here are some elements that provide us with an overview of the magnitude of the challenges related to the digital world.
The growing environmental impact of the digital sector
The digital sector is a major energy consumer
According to various sources, the digital sector accounts for between 4% to 5.5% of global annual electricity consumption. This consumption is primarily driven by the manufacturing and use of electronic devices. Data centers, through their servers and cooling systems, as well as communication networks, also represent a significant demand for fossil fuels (coal, oil). Data centers alone consume 2% of the world’s electricity.
The greenhouse gas emissions of the digital sector account for between 3% to 4% of global emissions.
According to Ademe, data centers generate 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions related to digital technology. Whether it’s energy or emissions, these numbers are expected to rise in the coming years, driven by the growing needs of the artificial intelligence industry. To recap, a single request on ChatGPT requires nearly 10 times more energy (2.9 Wh) than a request on Google (0.3 Wh).
E-Waste production
In 2022, 62 million tons of e-waste were generated. The current extractive and linear logic is leading to an exponential growth in this e-waste, largely driven by the obsolescence of our electronic devices. This obsolescence is fueled by a multitude of factors. These waste streams have significant human and environmental consequences, including pollution, public health risks, and the lack of material recycling.
Extracting abiotic resources
These multiple physical infrastructures supporting digital technology are made from natural resources such as rare metals (lithium, cobalt, etc.), minerals (copper, lead, etc.), and fossil fuels. This extraction raises numerous environmental concerns, including the destruction of ecosystems and toxic releases into nature to extract these metals. Socially concerning questions related to working conditions are also a factor to consider. The use of vital resources such as water is also staggering. For example, in 2021, Google’s water consumption for its US data centers alone reached over 16 billion liters.
The growing individual impacts of digitalization
Social consequences
The concerning trends around digitalization are numerous: digital addiction, overconsumption, impulsive purchases, misinformation, anxiety, social isolation, infringement on the right to disconnect, digital divides, privacy and data security issues, lack of access to rights, and algorithmic discrimination.
Impacts on living conditions
In addition, there are the precarious working conditions in extractive industries, especially in Southern countries, the devastating impact of water scarcity on local communities, and the severe negative effects on public health, exacerbated by pollution.
We have reached a point where digital technology as it is currently designed is undermining our freedom, privacy and rights. However, alternatives exist, such as eco-designed and ethical software.
For several years, we have been questioning ourselves personally on the social and environmental implications of technology.
Another digital way is possible.
Every single line of code that we create, through software and physical infrastructure, every electronic device created and used, every new IT infrastructure will leave a footprint on our planet and on individuals.
This growing awareness has prompted us to question our digital practices and those of the vast majority of society.
At its core, we are convinced that it is possible to have a digitally-driven world, with its benefits, serving humanity while being respectful of the planet.
So, we decided to act.
We created Axoly Tech, a software development and auditing company, specialized in eco-design.
We focus on software
because it’s our area of expertise.
Contrary to common perception, software, computer programs, web applications, and digital services do indeed have impacts on the environment and individuals.
To operate effectively, these tools rely on a wide array of external resources and raw materials.
These same software systems also directly contribute to the obsolescence of our devices and can compromise our privacy.
Furthermore, they can lead to the exclusion of people from their use, while also risking the creation of addictive behaviors in others.
With this simplified schema, here’s where we are:
Resources extracted ↔ Hardware ↔ Software ↔ Usage.
One of the tools to take concrete action against these consequences is the eco-design of digital services.
Learn more about software development at Axoly Tech :
At Axoly Tech, eco-design is integrated from the outset of every project and throughout its entire lifecycle.
It’s a fundamental principle.
How are we working towards these objectives?
At our scale,
we’re daily striving to deeply embed these principles into our business model.
Our ambition is to inspire other organizations by contributing to a heightened awareness of the environmental and social implications of digital technology.
Very few software development companies have a vision and a particular focus on the environmental and social impacts they generate. For us, this is a crucial issue. We can no longer continue down this digital path.
Undoubtedly, the transition to a more sustainable and ethical digital landscape, connected to the circular economy and sustainable development, will not happen overnight.
However, we are actively collaborating with the companies that have chosen to place their trust in us and are eager to be part of this change.
At Axoly Tech :
We are commited
- We’ve partnered with SustAIn.brussels, the European hub for digital innovation in Brussels. We are actively following a program to better integrate sustainability into our service offerings.
- Axoly Tech is a signatory of the Sustainable IT Charter since 2023, which marks our commitment to developing more ethical, sustainable, and inclusive digital practices.
- We advocate for the eco-design of digital services and are convinced that another digital way is possible, more ethical and sustainable.
- We guarantee you:
- Software developed with complete transparency;
- Respect of your privacy and protection of your data, as well as that of your clients;
- Free from aspects related to attention economy and dark patterns;
- No subscription obligations, you’re not locked into a single company and are free to make choices;
- Complete ownership of what has been developed.
We guarantee
- Quality work based on Green Coding and internationally recognized reference guides such as the GR491 and the Green Soft Model.
- Personalized support according to your needs, your context and your structure. Whether you are creating software or improving the performance of your website, whether you are a small or medium-sized organization, we are here.
- A measurement of the energy consumed by the software at all stages of its creation and during its final use, thus ensuring a minimal footprint on the environment.
- Depending on your preferences, we guide you towards more ethical hosting solutions for your newly developed software.
- Fighting against e-waste by designing your software to ensure optimal use on older devices.
- Tailor-made support (audits, advice, etc.) to guide you in your environmental approach.
We keep you informed
- We engage in conferences, roundtable discussions, and industry salons to raise awareness about the impacts of technology and share ideas with other professionals in the digital sector, as well as from diverse backgrounds. Interdisciplinarity is essential to us.
- We also offer training sessions, including eco-design, Green IT and ethical and sustainable digital practices. Knowledge transfer is essential to sustain these practices within your organization and to act.
- We’ve created a podcast: Axoly Tech Podcast (available in Spanish, Ignacio’s native language). You’ll learn more about global digital challenges, sometimes accompanied by experts: AI, mining extraction, data centers, software obsolescence, and impacts on the global South… Many fascinating topics. Some of these contents are shared on our Articles page.
And from a financial perspective?
A eco-designed software is not necessarily more expensive to develop.
Yet, the benefits are numerous: it allows for reducing the global environmental impact of digital technologies, aligning with your sustainability goals, whether intrinsic or related to corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Furthermore, it contributes to improving performance and efficiency of your services, while meeting increasing client demands for sustainability.
By adopting an eco-responsible approach, you can also strengthen your brand image and differentiate yourself on a market where socio-environmental concerns are becoming increasingly prominent.
Finally, eco-design allows us to accurately identify your actual needs and future uses of the software or web application. This will help avoid costly developments and unnecessary energy consumption.
For the future
We hope that more and more organizations, whether SMEs, associations, or startups in need of custom software, will recognize the importance of eco-design, ethical design, and the digital impacts on our planet.
This issue concerns us all.
Regarding Axoly Tech, we have the goal of training ourselves to create software that is completely accessible to people with disabilities, so that they are not automatically excluded from these new technologies.
We also aspire to develop additional tools in-house, such as our tool to prevent the formation of obsolescence, which will enable us to further optimize the software we create for you and enhance its positive impact.
Finally, we plan to develop a detailed roadmap to solidify sustainable practices even more deeply within the services we offer you.
If the digital future matters to you as much as it does to us, then feel free to get in touch!