Assessment of the climate impacts of a digital service
An assessment method and a simple calculator was developed for assessing the climate impacts of digital or digitized services. The development was carried out in a Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities project: Assessment of Environmental impacts caused by digitalization in public sector services. The project was implemented by KPMG Oy Ab, LUT University and the Finnish Environment Institute.
Due to the diversity of digital services and the scarcity of initial data, calculating climate impacts with a single calculator is not meaningful. A calculator for calculating the climate effects of simple online services has been implemented in this service. The possible development of similar calculators also for assessing other types of digital services requires separate further development.
This service is in trial use and changes are possible.
Steps in the assessment method
Identifying potential negative or positive climate impacts using checklist questions.
Collection and calculation of the necessary initial data. Calculation of applicable services with a calculator. For other services, the help of an expert is needed.
Identifying and assessing potential improvements using a checklist. The checklist of proposed measures can also be used without a preliminary impact assessment.
Identifying potential negative or positive climate impacts using checklist questions.
Select all questions to which you suspect the answer is yes, now or in the future.
Collection and calculation of the necessary initial data. Calculation of applicable services with a calculator. For other services, the help of an expert is needed.
Calculation of climate impacts of a simple online service
- Equipment to develop and provide the service
- Devices used to provide the service via the network (e.g. application servers on site or in the cloud)
- The networks through which the service is delivered
- The devices of the service user
- User's network connections
Information about the evaluated service
How many person-years per year are used to maintain the service, produce content, facilitate and develop it?
What proportion of users use the service on a phone instead of a computer?
Results
Identifying potential improvements using a checklist. The checklist of proposed measures can also be used without a preliminary impact assessment.