Considerations in Designing for Reduced Environmental Impact of Digital Media Production and Distribution Systems

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Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY, USA
Doc Type: Journal Article
Content Type: Original Research
Abbreviated Title: SMPTE Mot. Imag. J
Volume: 132, No. 7, pp. 32–38
Abstract: Efforts to quantify and mitigate the environmental impact of digital media production and distribution should focus on the energy use of information technology (IT) infrastructure, rather than carbon or CO _2e footprints, as the primary performance indicator and means of impact. While reducing CO _2e footprints is one of the ultimate goals of such efforts, CO _2e output is a secondary measure of system performance that when focused on too narrowly can create perverse incentives to invest resources inefficiently or take unilateral actions that have unintended negative consequences. The source of this misplaced focus on CO _2e is largely the result of marketing efforts that emphasize the reduction of carbon footprints, mostly through renewable energy procurement, as the primary means of reducing impact. The procurement of renewable energy and related carbon intensity metrics, whether in the form of standards or corporate reporting, are of little value to system designers and operators in understanding how to reduce the environmental impact of IT systems and infrastructure. As just one example, research on mesh content delivery network (CDN) delivery has demonstrated techniques that reduced energy consumption by more than 50%, which would not be reflected in standard CO2emissions reporting. By focusing on energy proportionality and techniques that reduce and adjust energy consumption, designers, and operators can create a direct impact on CO _2e emissions while also increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Further research and development as well as collaboration on industry standards that go beyond CO _2e reporting is vital to reducing industry-wide internet and communications technology (ICT) environmental impacts.
Publication Date: 2023-08-01
DOI: 10.5594/JMI.2023.3285235
ISSN: Print: 1545-0279 | Electronic: 2160-2492
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2023.3285235
Author(s): Tom Moran
bio
Tom Moran is a sustainability researcher and educator and a consulting principal at Lumen EMEA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He has worked in the media and IT industries including production, design, architecture, consulting, and business development for more than 23 years. He provides advisory services and committee participation and support to a variety of industry organizations working on sustainability including The Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), The Infrastructure Masons (iMasons), The Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance (SDIA), and techUK.
Keyword(s): Carbon, Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), CO2, Content Delivery Network, Emissions, Sustainability, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, Reporting
Copyright: © 2023 SMPTE

Bibliographic Reference(s)

“Carbon Emissions of Streaming and Digital Terrestrial Television,” Carnstone, London, U.K., Report Commissioned by the U.K. Regulator Ofcom, 2022. EXTERNAL
D. Schien, P. Shabajee, and C. Preist, Rethinking Allocation in High-Baseload Systems: A Demand-Proportional Network Electricity Intensity Metric, University of Bristol: Bristol, U.K. EXTERNAL
International Telecommunication Union—L.1333 09/2022, “Carbon Data Intensity for Network Energy Performance Monitoring.” EXTERNAL
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), “Scope 3 Guidance for Telecommunication Operators GSMA, GeSI, and ITU-T.” EXTERNAL
G. McGovern, World Wide Waste, Silver Beach Publishing: Meath, Ireland, ISBN 978-1-9164446-2-1. EXTERNAL

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Tom Moran; Considerations in Designing for Reduced Environmental Impact of Digital Media Production and Distribution Systems, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 132, Issue: 7, August 2023); SMPTE, 2023. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2023.3285235

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Tom Moran; Considerations in Designing for Reduced Environmental Impact of Digital Media Production and Distribution Systems, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 132, Issue: 7, August 2023); SMPTE, 2023. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2023.3285235

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<span class="citation">Tom Moran; <cite>Considerations in Designing for Reduced Environmental Impact of Digital Media Production and Distribution Systems</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 132, Issue: 7, August 2023); SMPTE, 2023. Available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2023.3285235" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2023.3285235</a></span>

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Tom Moran; Considerations in Designing for Reduced Environmental Impact of Digital Media Production and Distribution Systems, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 132, Issue: 7, August 2023); SMPTE, 2023
doi: 10.5594/JMI.2023.3285235
url: https://doi.org/10.5594/JMI.2023.3285235

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Tom Moran; <cite id="bib-10-5594-jmi-2023-3285235">Considerations in Designing for Reduced Environmental Impact of Digital Media Production and Distribution Systems</cite>, SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal ( Volume: 132, Issue: 7, August 2023); SMPTE, 2023
<span class="doi">10.5594/JMI.2023.3285235</span>
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