One small digital action supporting SDG 13: Climate Action.
Climate action doesn’t only happen in the physical world.
It also happens every time we create, store, and keep digital data.
Photos, videos, backups, and files are often uploaded automatically — even when they’re never opened again. That convenience has a climate cost.
Why this matters
Every photo, video, and file stored in the cloud lives on physical infrastructure that must be powered and cooled continuously.
A 2025 peer-reviewed study published in Nature Sustainability estimates that data centres and data transmission networks account for around 0.6% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, driven largely by electricity used to store, transmit, and back up data. As global data volumes continue to rise, this share is expected to grow. (Source: Nature Sustainability, 2025)
Much of this impact comes not from essential data, but from duplicated, rarely accessed, or unnecessary files that are uploaded automatically and stored indefinitely.
Research and environmental agencies also highlight that cloud storage consumes energy year-round — even when files are never opened again — because systems must remain online, cooled, and redundantly backed up. (Source: German Federal Environment Agency)
Reducing unnecessary auto uploads helps lower demand for this energy-intensive infrastructure, directly supporting SDG 13: Climate Action by cutting emissions at their digital source.
The small action
Turn off automatic cloud uploads for non-essential files.
Do this once:
- Set photo and video uploads to manual
- Or limit backups to essential folders only
You still protect important data — just not everything by default.
How this helps
This small change:
- Reduces demand for always-on data storage
- Limits unnecessary duplication of files
- Lowers the energy required to store, cool, and back up data
Climate action isn’t only about using less — it’s about using intentionally.
Caution
Don’t remove backups you rely on.
- Keep cloud storage for critical documents and data
- If unsure, switch off auto-upload first and review files later
The goal is less waste, not more risk.
Make it stick
Once a year, review what’s being backed up automatically.
Most people find they can safely exclude far more than they expected.
Small action. Invisible impact.
You may never see the servers your files live on.
But they’re running — continuously.
Sometimes climate action starts with choosing what doesn’t need to be stored forever.
