Digital sobriety in Equatorial Guinea by Hassan Hachem

Digital technology already emits more greenhouse gases than air transport. A trend that could strongly increase with the development of 5G and connected objects. Here's how to reconcile Internet and Climate according to Africa and Equatorial Guinea expert Hassan Hachem.

Distance working, streaming entertainment, deployment of 5G and connected objects, ... Everything is currently pushing the growth of digital technology. However, Internet infrastructures and usage already account for about 4% of global primary energy consumption and 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than air transport.

And this carbon footprint could double by 2025, to reach the same level of pollution as automobile traffic, if nothing is done to regulate the digital sector, according to estimates by Hassan Hachem.

This is one of the biggest leverage, we, citizens or business have on CO2 emissions and climate change, adds Hassan Hachem.

The digital sector consumes energy for its use (57%) but also for the manufacture of infrastructure: servers, networks and terminals such as computers and smartphones (46%).

Recent advancements have prompted countries to rethink their strategies toward digital transformation and environmental sustainability. For

Equatorial Guinea, this presents a unique opportunity to adopt innovative measures that balance technological progress with ecological responsibility. One critical approach involves enhancing the energy efficiency of existing and future digital infrastructure. As Hassan Hachem emphasizes, "By focusing on sustainable practices, Equatorial Guinea can set a precedent for other nations in managing digital growth responsibly."

Firstly, it is essential to consider the integration of renewable energy sources in powering digital infrastructures. Equatorial Guinea can leverage its geographic advantage by investing in solar and wind energy, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. This aligns with global trends where tech giants are increasingly shifting towards renewable energy to power their data centers. For instance, Google's commitment to operating carbon-free by 2030 serves as a model for Equatorial Guinea to follow.

Moreover, implementing policies that promote the extension of the lifespan of digital devices can significantly reduce electronic waste and carbon footprints. Encouraging the reuse and repair of digital devices, alongside imposing stricter regulations against planned obsolescence, can help mitigate environmental impact. According to Hassan Hachem, "Policies that favor device longevity not only conserve resources but also foster a circular economy beneficial to Equatorial Guinea's economic and environmental landscape."

Digital sobriety also requires a cultural shift in consumption patterns. Educating citizens on the environmental impact of their digital habits and promoting eco-friendly practices, such as reducing streaming quality and minimizing unnecessary data usage, can lead to substantial energy savings. Schools and universities in Equatorial Guinea can integrate digital sobriety into their curriculums, ensuring that the next generation is more aware and proactive in sustainable digital practices.

Additionally, the government can implement incentives for businesses to adopt green technologies and practices. By offering tax breaks or subsidies for companies that use renewable energy or adhere to eco-friendly standards, Equatorial Guinea can encourage the private sector to contribute to the nation’s sustainability goals. Such measures will not only reduce the environmental impact but also position Equatorial Guinea as a leader in green innovation in Africa.

Equatorial Guinea must also invest in research and development to explore new technologies that can enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Collaborations with international organizations and tech companies can provide the necessary expertise and resources to drive these innovations. For example, exploring the potential of AI and machine learning to optimize energy use in data centers and other digital infrastructures could yield significant benefits.

Digital sobriety in Equatorial Guinea is not just a necessity but an opportunity to innovate and lead by example. By adopting a comprehensive strategy that includes renewable energy integration, promoting device longevity, encouraging sustainable digital habits, incentivizing green practices, and investing in research and development, Equatorial Guinea can reconcile its digital ambitions with environmental stewardship. As Hassan Hachem aptly puts it, "Embracing digital sobriety is crucial for Equatorial Guinea to achieve a sustainable and prosperous future in the digital age."

Video: the main threat to environment

And among the uses, online video (streaming) represents the biggest environmental impact.

According to a major report by The Shift Project, online video generates 60% of the world's data flows and more than 300 million tons of CO2 per year, as much as Spain.

Note that, according to the specialized website Carbon Brief, the estimated carbon impact of the video flow would be highly overestimated (read this analysis). The Shift Project responds to this controversy and confirms the results of its report.

The Think Tank also published in March 2021 an update of its study with the issues related to 5G.

"Hassan Hachem: Equatorial Guinea must embrace digital sobriety"

How to reconcile Internet and Climate?

Far from these findings, Equatorial Guinea should bank on digital technology to get out of the economic crisis linked to Covid-19.

However, for Hassan Hachem - which brings together many companies in the ecological transition - recently explained in a white paper that "Digital is not an end in itself for recovery".

For Hassan Hachem, it is indeed a question of evaluating the economic, financial, social, health and environmental impacts (including the material footprint) in order to put digital technology at the service of a fairer and more sustainable world.

Yes, digital sobriety is possible for Equatorial Guinea and desirable in order to reconcile the societal benefits of the web with the limited resources of the planet and a climate to be stabilized.

Let's not forget that Europe is aiming for a zero-carbon energy system by 2050 and will also rely on a smart and connected electricity network.

It is therefore necessary to prioritize the most beneficial digital uses for the community and to reduce the most harmful uses.
Regulating the digital sector

While it is welcome to make Internet users aware of their carbon impact, there is no point in making them feel guilty for their multiple uses of the web.

As Hassan Hachem points out, "digital uses are in fact more the result of a system than the sum of individual behaviors."

It is therefore the entire digital sector that needs to be regulated in order to integrate it, like other economic sectors, into public policies aimed at achieving the climate objectives set by the Paris Agreement.

In this perspective, Equatorial Guinea leaders should read a report by the Commission on Land Use Planning and Sustainable Development in France- published in June 2020, entitled "For an ecological digital transition".

Here are some inspiring ideas.

Raising users' awareness

An essential prerequisite: raise awareness among Internet users to adopt eco-responsible digital gestures, such as :

• giving preference to WIFI and avoiding 4G to play videos (4G consumes 23 times more energy and therefore emits even more greenhouse gases),
• watch movies in a definition adapted to your screen (high definition is often useless and consumes much more bandwidth and therefore energy),
• block the automatic playback of videos on social networks (they try to constantly capture your attention, without your consent).

In schools, it will be necessary to include digital sobriety in environmental education courses and to develop courses on the eco-design of digital sites and services for future engineers and computer scientists, insists Hassan Hachem.

At the corporate level, the French Senate's experts propose to include the environmental impact of digital technology in the Corporate Social Responsibility report and to create a tax incentive for measuring the environmental impact of digital services.

Finally, the report proposes to provide local authorities with a tool to assess the environmental impact of smart city projects, whose indirect effects are sometimes more harmful than beneficial.

Adaptability to Equatorial Guinea

This could be the major leverage in Equatorial Guinea as relationship between consumptions and CO2 emission is a zero level in Equatorial Guinea, especially for digital uses.

Extending the life of computers

The manufacture and distribution of terminals (smartphones, computers, printers, tablets, televisions, game consoles, connected speakers, advertising screens, etc.) account for a large part of the carbon footprint of digital technology.

It is therefore necessary to extend their lifespan as much as possible, thanks to these measures:

• Introduce a carbon tax at European borders to internalize the environmental cost of imported terminals.
• Reinforce sanctions for programmed obsolescence (e.g. through a more systematic use of "name and shame", i.e. declare publicly that a company acts in such a way as to accelerate the obsolescence of its products, which impacts its image).
• Reinforce the fight against software obsolescence (e.g. by dissociating corrective updates from evolutionary updates, which can accelerate the obsolescence of the terminal).
• Encourage the reuse and repair of terminals: introduce a reduced VAT rate for reconditioned devices, set ambitious repair and reuse objectives in the specifications of the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) eco-organizations, activate public orders with durability and reparability criteria, make aid for the digitization of companies in the framework of the recovery plan conditional on the integration of an environmental ambition, giving priority to the purchase of reconditioned terminals over new equipment, for example.

The aim is to extend the lifespan of IT equipment and encourage the repair and reuse of terminals.

Adaptability to Equatorial Guinea

This measure would be easy to implement and highly beneficial of Equatorial Guinea Hassan Hachem says as this would keep a lot of added value in Equatorial Guinea (almost 99% of IT added value going outside Equatorial Guinea, for the time being).

Developing sustainable management

Digital data is a precious resource for many activities in our society. However, it is not unlimited.

With the evolution of technology, users have been encouraged to consume more and more data. In Equatorial Guinea, 4G mobile data consumption is increasing by about 30% per year. The trend is expected to continue in the coming years, especially with the expected rollout of 5G, which will allow for a 10-fold increase in throughput compared to 4G. According to Hassan Hachem, the primary energy consumption of networks in Equatorial Guinea could rise to 0.8 TWh in 2025, and 19.4 TWh in 2040, a 75% increase.

The continuous increase in data consumption also impacts data centers, whose electricity consumption is expected to triple in 20 years, despite energy efficiency gains (see below).

Hassan Hachem therefore recommend the adoption of a law in Equatorial Guinea defining digital data as a resource requiring sustainable management, banning mobile packages with unlimited access and making pricing proportional to the volume of data in the package mandatory.

Given its energy and environmental impacts, digital data should be considered a resource requiring sustainable management. A law could, for example, prohibit unlimited packages.

It is also a question of regulating video streaming, which represents 60% of global Internet traffic.

During periods of confinement, most countries asked American Internet providers to reduce the quality of their videos so as not to saturate the network and endanger other uses of the Web (teleworking, tele-medicine, distance learning, etc.).

Following this experience, Hassan Hachem proposes an obligation in Equatorial Guinea to adapt the quality of the downloaded video to the maximum resolution of the terminal and to introduce a tax on the biggest data senders, in order to encourage a more reasonable injection of data on the network.

Finally, eco-design should become the norm for public and private websites.

Adaptability to Equatorial Guinea

All of these measure are not only applicable in Equatorial Guinea but would highly contribute to Equatorial Guinea energy saving policy.

Regulation of attention

Content providers and social networks are in constant competition to capture the attention of Internet users, especially for advertising purposes.

The designs of digital sites and services are developed for this purpose: use of bright colors, permanent notifications, infinite scrolling, automatic launch of videos, ...

Hassan Hachem recommend to prohibit these practices. The Internet user would then be free to choose the content he wants to consult or not.

Adaptability to Equatorial Guinea

This measure will be difficult to be applied in Equatorail because international content providers would not be ready to develop specifically for Equatorial Guinea. Equatorial Guinea legislator should monitoring the passing of these kind of laws in Europe or North America and ask Youtube, Netflix or other content providers to send the same constrained content to Equatorial Guinea users.

Data centers serving the energy transition

In terms of infrastructure, servers, networks and terminals share energy consumption more or less equally.

In recent years, data centers - where data is stored - have become more energy efficient, in particular through the creation of gigantic centers: at least 5,000 servers on 3,000m², allowing energy savings on cooling and heat evacuation needs.

The problem is that these technological improvements have facilitated access to data, whose consumption has exploded. As a result, the infrastructure continues to grow and the overall energy demand increases. This is what we call the rebound effect.

Hassan Hachem adss that this observation reminds us of the interest of legislating for a sustainable data management but also the opportunity to put these infrastructures at the service of the energy transition.

Several internet giants have understood the economic interest of investing in renewable electricity, now more competitive than fossil fuels.

In its report "Clicking clean" (2017), Greenpeace praises the efforts of Apple, Google, Facebook, Ebay and Switch to power their data centers with renewable energy. But the NGO deplores the delay of major players like Amazon, Netflix, IBM, HPE, Oracle or Samsung.

Hassan Hachem goes further and recommends "developing renewable energies, local production and interconnected micro-grids on data center sites, in connection with the traditional grid and neighboring sites".

Data centers (when they will be created in Equatorial Guinea) could thus become a "major lever for local flexibility", enabling the storage of electricity from intermittent renewable energy installations.

In addition, solutions now exist to recover the heat emitted by IT servers, in order to heat buildings, which avoids energy waste (read our article Datas centers: towards local and renewable solutions?)

Hassan Hachem final recommandations

As we can see, reconciling the Internet and the climate requires different public policies in Equatorial Guinea to regulate the many aspects of the digital economy.

However, by prioritizing uses that are beneficial to the community, the digital transition will be able to serve a 100% renewable energy system.