The law of November 15, 2021 comes into force, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of digital technology in France. It will generate changes for organizations with the aim of converging the digital and the ecological, as well as the issue of cybersecurity.
Current digital legislation
According to a study carried out by the GreenIT.fr collective and Nega Octet, in Europe, the mass of raw materials mobilized through digital technology corresponds to 571 million tons. This would represent the mass of 9.2 billion human beings. However, digital technology is essential, as demonstrated during the health crisis, it is essential for the proper functioning of the entire current system.
It was also during the crisis that the law aimed at reducing its environmental footprint was adopted. It is one of these many laws, standards and rules that have been implemented in France and Europe to reduce ecological impact human activities.
This new law on the ecological impact of digital technology establishes new rules to try to limit your carbon footprint. However, these new standards take into account the importance of cybersecurity and will not seek to put ecology before security.
Therefore, organizations will be required to have a balanced activity between technical, organizational or legal limitations. It will be necessary to combine good ecological behavior and legal responsibilities.
The ecological impact of digital
At first glance, digital ecology seems less tangible than daily selective sorting. However, it is clear and evident that digital technology is very demanding in terms of electrical and material resources.
In 2019, the Collective green IT The global consumption consumed by user terminals, data centers and the different types of networks that connect users with data servers is estimated at 5.5%.
The proliferation of digital equipment around the world and the democratized use of Cloud Computing has a great impact on the ecology. These technologies are great for everyday life and allow many people to work or play. It is not about questioning all this, but about rethinking the way of using digital technology to make it more eco-responsible.
Environmental awareness
It’s about responsibility, for users and organizations. For several years now, initiatives have multiplied to help organizations reduce their ecological footprint. This allows us to lay the first stones of the ecological and responsible approach. These changes should not be seen as legal restrictions to follow to avoid fines, but rather as awareness raising. It is also a way for companies to invest in the consideration economy, seek to overcome technical limits and attract talent to reinvent their digital systems and information systems.
In this way, the awareness and responsibility required in the management of personal data is closer to ecological awareness. Both agree on the need to act globally to rethink uses. All measures and reflections installed to comply with the new data protection regulations can be fully consistent with ecological standards.
Organizations are called to become aware of the very real impact of the use of digital technology. Whether it is personal data or the resources assigned to operate your information system. All of this doesn’t just exist behind a screen, the impact is real on people’s lives and on the environmental footprint.
Ecology “by design” new digital ecodesign framework
A few years ago, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), established a notion of responsibility and accountability of companies. This forced companies to think about the use of personal data when designing the digital service or product itself. In short, companies had to review their logic for creating digital systems to take into account the use of personal data from the first phases of interface design. In this way, they can ensure optimal data protection and are responsible for this from the beginning.
This principle, which encourages accountability and thinking about it from the design of digital services, is reflected in the law of November 15, 2021 since it mentions a general framework for the eco-design of digital services. This sets criteria for sustainable website design from 2024 onwards.
It is part of the Green Tech inter-ministerial mission that aims to help reduce the consumption of computer and energy resources and the obsolescence of equipment. This would require digital service designers to ask themselves about the sustainability of their equipment and how to monitor its environmental impacts. This affects both user computers and networks or servers. Thus, training in computer engineering or computer designer must contain a specific module on ecodesign. General digital sobriety training has even been implemented at the national education level and within universities.
Consciousness arises through that. It’s no longer just organizations or IT professionals dealing with it. At stake is the general use of digital technology by the population. When designing a website, choosing your equipment or freeing up your cloud storage spaces, everyone can intervene in its use to reduce the overall impact of digital technology on the environment.
Control your energy consumption
These awareness initiatives involve communication and user awareness. They are the ones who can change the general use of digital systems and the measures taken by the government aim to make them aware of their role in this project.
Therefore, we must seek to communicate and raise awareness among users every day; it is with this idea that the Higher Audiovisual Council (CSA) has implemented recommendations. These recommendations could serve as a basis for the implementation of best practice messages by video on demand (VOD) providers.
A mass-use service that could effectively transmit messages of digital and ecological responsibility. Likewise, electronic communications operators must publish key figures to demonstrate their actions in favor of the environment, key indicators such as Effectiveness in Energy Use.
An environmental and financial impact
The management of energy resources is also a financial issue that is highlighted in government measures. Thus, the law of November 15 provides for fiscal specificities to encourage organizations to follow the movement. Organizations that act in favor of the environment will have an improved tax regime when it comes to electricity consumption.
As for users, the law aims to fight against the obsolescence of terminals, which represents 70% of the digital footprint in France. To combat this, there are plans to introduce tax incentives to promote device recycling and the purchase of refurbished devices.
A very interesting saving given the necessary investment in electronic equipment. However, professionals should not focus solely on economics and tax benefits. The responsibility of organizations lies in the good energy management of their services, but also in computer security.
