Digital sustainability

Greenhouse gases

A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs and re-emits some of the heat radiated by the Earth. Some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere. They play a crucial role in keeping the Earth warm by trapping part of the energy received from the Sun, while the rest is radiated back into space. This natural phenomenon, known as the greenhouse effect, makes life on Earth possible: without it, the planet’s average temperature would be around −18°C. Greenhouse gases therefore play an essential role in regulating the Earth’s climate.

However, the rapid increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mainly as a result of human activities, is intensifying the greenhouse effect and causing global temperatures to rise. This phenomenon is known as global warming [1].

Carbon footprint

The carbon footprint of a good or service encompasses all greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout its production and supply chain, including emissions occurring abroad. These may result from the extraction of raw materials, the production of materials and intermediate goods, industrial processes, transportation, and marketing [2]. 

We may think of the digital world as intangible, but in reality, it accounts for millions of metric tons of CO₂ emissions.

The digital sector’s carbon footprint is assessed by measuring the emissions associated with the infrastructure, equipment, and components that enable digital services. This means looking at three key building blocks of the digital sector: data centers (including servers and the chips they contain), digital devices and equipment, and telecommunications networks and infrastructure.

Did you know? Around 70% to 80% of a smartphone’s or computer’s carbon footprint is generated before you even turn it on for the first time, due to:

- the extraction of the raw materials used to make it,
- the manufacturing of the components required for it to function,
- transportation and distribution.

Added to this is the impact of usage and the end-of-life disposal of digital devices.

Today, the digital sector represents 3 to 4% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide and approximately 4% of the national carbon footprint in 2022. But without intervention, its carbon footprint could triple between 2020 and 2050.

In their joint study on digital technology’s environmental footprint, Arcep and ADEME examined the progression of four indicators from 2020 to 2030 and 2050

Drawing on the findings of its work, Arcep recommends, for instance, extending the life of one’s devices as much as possible, opting for a fixed internet connection (fibre, ADSL) whenever possible, and taking advantage of smartphone settings (deleting apps that are not being used, choosing the greenest video resolution settings, etc.).

Encouraging the reuse of equipments is one of the levers that can be used to increase the lifespan of devices and thus limit their environmental impact.

First, economic stakeholders, including Big Tech companies, must become accountable: through their technological choices, the new requirements and demand they generate, they hold the biggest keys to reducing the environmental footprint.

With this in mind, Arcep and Arcom, in collaboration with ADEME, published the General policy framework for the ecodesign of digital services (RGESN). The aim of this policy framework is to reduce digital services’ – including websites, video platforms, applications and AI tools – impact on the environment from the design stage.

Arcep began to work on digital technology’s environmental impact in 2019 and has been steadily entrusted by lawmakers with new responsibilities, to collect data from digital industry stakeholders on their environmental footprint.

This data collection process, which began in 2020 with the country’s four main electronic communications operators, was later expanded through the “REEN 2” Act of 23 December 2021, to include data centre operators, operating system providers, public online communication service providers, device and network equipment suppliers.

Arcep makes this work public through its annual “Achieving digital sustainability” survey, which provides readers with the ability to track the progress of greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and device recycling and refurbishment.

Arcep is also a proactive contributor to public debates and plays an active role on the national, European and international stages, sharing its experience and the findings of its work on digital technology’s impact on the environment.

The World Bank and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) have published in March 2025 a joint study titled: “Measuring the Environmental impact of the ICT Sector – Arcep case study” devoted entirely to the pioneering approach spearheaded by Arcep.

The Authority welcomes this international recognition of the work begun in 2019, and which has led to it being, ‘the first and only sectoral regulator today that publishes indicators on the data collected from ICT industry players to assess and track their environmental impact’.

Key findings from a new World Bank and ITU case study of Arcep were presented and discussed with regulators from Brazil, South Africa and Zambia 

At the same time, ITU creates a new working group dedicated to ICT’s environmental footprint, chaired by Arcep.

The production of robust, quantified studies, based on shared methodologies creates the ability to provide a detailed overview and identify the key courses of action to be taken. They help raise collective awareness and inform objective discussions. These studies and publications thus make it possible to confirm or refute certain hunches about digital technology’s environmental impact.

Arcep contributes to measuring digital technology’s environmental footprint:

• Through the publication of its annual “Achieving digital sustainability” survey
• Through the work conducted with ADEME: a joint study on the digital environmental footprint in 2020, 2030 and 2050 

Arcep publishes its report on “The environmental challenges of generative AI”

As part of its Ambition 2030 strategy, digital infrastructure regulator Arcep set itself the goal of ensuring that these infrastructures were available everywhere, to everyone, and for a long time to come. Consumers’ and businesses’ swift and massive adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) services (48% of people in France were already using them in 2025, marking a 28-point increase in two years, according to the 2026 edition of the Digital Market Barometer), the unleashed potential for innovation, and the development outlook for this technology, supported by massive investments, led Arcep to investigate the repercussions for users and for its regulatory responsibilities.

Arcep delivers a summary of current knowledge of the environmental impact of generative AI, enabling initial assessments and the mapping out of potential courses of action. This summary draws on a review of scientific and institutional literature, on talks with a range of experts from the public and private sectors, academia and NGOs, as well as collaboration with the Centre of Expertise of Digital Platform Regulation (PEReN) which made it possible to carry out unprecedented tests on the energy consumption of multiple generative AI models during their usage (i.e. inference) phase.

Among the report’s main findings: a lack of transparency amongst AI model designers and service providers, regarding the environmental impact of their models and the inference phase which is set to become a major issue with surge in usage.

To ensure that AI and its infrastructures are deployed under conditions that are compatible with the planetary boundaries, Arcep has formulated four courses of action covering nine recommendations. These recommendations are aligned with the forthcoming and existing European legislative framework. Arcep has also formulated proposals to this end as part of European Commission public consultations.

- English version of the report (pdf - 2.30 MB) 
- Replay of the Arcep webinar - 16 June 2026
- Panorama : Where are the environmental impacts of AI hidden? (June 2026) (pdf - 320 KB)

By co-chairing Expert committees, and publishing their reports

• Report: “The scope of internet of things (IoT) with respect to information and communication technologies (ICT)”
  - Press release
  - Full report
  - Executive Summary
• Report: “Energy Assessment of 4G vs. 5G deployment” 
  - Executive Summary
• Report: “Carbon impact of shutting down 2G and 3G networks”
  - Press release
  - Full report
  - Executive Summary

By tracking the French population’s digital habits, along with Arcom

• Digital Market Barometer, study of the environmental impact of audiovisual media services’ different broadcasting methods, and the common index of digital practices.

Through its work with Arcom and ADEME on the environmental impact of audiovisual media consumption in France in 2022 and up to 2030

• Read the joint study

At Arcep’s instigation, Europe’s electronic communication regulators have incorporated the issues surrounding digital technology’s environmental footprint since 2020 into the work done by BEREC. 

The “Sustainability” working group, which is currently co-chaired by Arcep, brings together experts from national authorities and the European Commission, with the goal of raising awareness amongst European regulators, to develop their expertise on digital technology’s impact on the environment, and to identify best practices for taking effective action to tackle environmental issues. 

BEREC is the key body for dialogue and coordination, for drafting and sharing best practices that are adapted to the sector’s realities, and implemented in a way that meets the European Union’s high environmental goals and standards.

Learn more about Arcep’s role in and actions within European institutions and around the world.

As part of its radio spectrum management remit, Arcep believes it is necessary to anticipate scenarios for changes in usage that could have an impact on wireless network capacity requirements, particularly with regard to the use of new frequency bands and the need to deploy new radio sites (antennas, towers, etc.).

By 2035, several harmonized frequency bands for the deployment of mobile networks in mainland France will be available or likely to be available, including:

• the 1.4 GHz band (1427–1517 MHz)
• the lower part of the 3.5 GHz band (3410–3490 MHz)
• the 6 GHz band (6425–7125 MHz)
• the 26 GHz band

With this study, Arcep sought to shed light on two key points:

• the risks of wireless network congestion based on different scenarios for changes in usage on these networks;
• the potential benefits of using the upper part of the 6 GHz band (i.e., the 6425 MHz – 7125 MHz range), whether exploited by Wi-Fi networks or cellular networks.

How can wireless networks evolve while supporting digital sustainability? Ahmed Haddad, Arcep expert speaks with consulting firm Analysys Mason which realized the study, about evolving wireless demand, network capacity, environmental impacts and how regulators embed environmental sustainability into policy.