The internet is often viewed through the lens of making the world a smaller, more accessible place which has lessened the need to get in a car or take a plane, but make no mistake, even the internet has a carbon footprint.
With a seemingly endless need for data centres, servers, and even cryptocurrency mining facilities, various estimates indicate that internet use accounts for between 2 per cent and 4 per cent of overall carbon dioxide emissions, on par with those from the aviation industry.
Those internet emissions inspired Greenie Web, a Singapore-based start-up seeking to make existing websites and website code more environmentally friendly.
“Coding was never sustainable,” said Greenie Web’s 26-year-old founder Ian Chew. “The way it has been taught for past generations has never focused on sustainability … so how can we right the wrong of the past?”
Mr Chew, who started Greenie Web as a side-project when he was in high school, said the start-up mainly focuses on digital decarbonisation, which includes image compression, video frame rates and back end coding, as well as long-term digital sustainability planning.
“There are so many countries going digital and going online for the first time in the next decade, so how can we make sure that experience is sustainable.”
Although Mr Chew declined to name specific clients, he said Greenie Web has attracted interest from the finance and maritime sectors for their websites and other technology infrastructure.
“These companies, the maritime companies, they know things like sustainable fuel are 10 years down the road, but this [reducing digital footprints] is something that can be done right now,” he said.
Greenie Web is not alone in this endeavour. There are multiple companies that estimate the carbon footprint of sites and offer solutions, but Mr Chew said Greenie Web is bolstered by a major difference.
“Nobody has actually gone to the extent that we do in terms of taking people's code and changing it, and that's because it's a very difficult task,” he said, describing Greenie Web's code as low-carbon code.
“Think of it like a storybook, there are many ways of telling the story, but we find the most low-carbon way of telling the story,” he said. “We've created this system over several years to think critically about this issue.”
Some solutions on the road to digital decarbonisation, Mr Chew said, are more obvious, pointing to websites that push the user to watch 4k videos when their devices might not be able to process them.
“There's a lot of wastage in data transmission,” he said.
According to Wholegrain Digital, a firm which also specialises in digital sustainability, the internet consumes 416.2 billion terawatt hours of electricity per year overall. That’s slightly more than the annual electricity consumption of the UK, but less than France, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.
Some websites, including the UAE’s Cop28 website, have the option to switch to low carbon which eliminates photos and other superfluous features, thus limiting the energy consumed by the website and speeding up the load times. However, there isn’t yet a global standard in web design or coding that would simplify the process for entities hoping to lower their carbon footprint online.
It remains to be seen if such a standard will ever be established, but Mr Chew still sees a market regardless, and said Greenie Web plans to be around for the long haul.
“The angel [investors] really believe in us and for the foreseeable future we're in a very lean situation,” he said, referring to the company's staff levels.
“We're not looking to raise [capital] anytime soon but we're open to strategic opportunities when they come.”
Mr Chew said, unlike technologies such as carbon capture, the idea behind digital sustainability is relatively young and therefore has potential for growth.
There's also what he refers to as the legacy technology infrastructure, which he said is ripe for a sustainable overhaul.
“It wraps around half the world if not more,” he said, referring to existing technology infrastructure that can't be replaced overnight, but can potentially be tweaked.
“How can we improve it in a way that minimises disruption but still allows for better efficiencies and lower carbon emissions?”
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
AL%20BOOM
%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BDirector%3AAssad%20Al%20Waslati%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%0DStarring%3A%20Omar%20Al%20Mulla%2C%20Badr%20Hakami%20and%20Rehab%20Al%20Attar%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20ADtv%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The five pillars of Islam
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
