At first glance, e-learning or digital learning seems to be a very environmentally friendly solution: no printed books, no travel, no energy costs for physical classrooms. But is e-learning as environmentally friendly as it seems? We investigated how we can do even better.
The Matter of the Footprint
Whenever we can do something digitally, we like to bask in the feeling of acting in a particularly resource-saving and thus sustainable manner. Our computer activities fly through the ether, invisibly bypassing everything that might cause us discomfort in the physical world regarding environmental protection: We generate no waste or exhaust fumes, we consume no water, paper, or other materials, and we leave the flora and fauna beautifully in peace. Instead, we sit at our digital device, tapping and clicking away harmlessly.
Since more sustainability is also demanded in the education sector, e-learning eases our conscience through clear ecological advantages. Let's look at the extent to which digital learning can show a better environmental balance compared to in-person learning.
The Advantages of E-Learning for the Environment
1. No commuting to classes
One of the greatest contributions of e-learning to sustainability is the elimination of commuting. Both learners and teachers do not have to travel to the venue, which leads to a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions. People with flight shame are particularly happy when they can participate digitally in a far-away or international class without having to board increasingly unpopular airplanes.
2. No physical teaching materials
Classic learning accessories such as books, workbooks, or writing utensils are largely superfluous in e-learning. By providing learning content digitally, not only is paper consumption drastically reduced, but all the energy and raw material consumption associated with the manufacturing, storage, and transport of physical teaching materials is also saved.
Exams and learning assessments are also conducted digitally, making the need for printed exam papers obsolete. On the one hand, this saves precious paper, and on the other, it saves the effort and CO₂ emissions associated with the distribution and storage of physical exam documents.
3. No energy consumption for venues
Seminar and training rooms for in-person events must be heated, lit, and maintained for scheduled dates, regardless of how many or how few learners attend an event. By learning digitally at home more often, the energy expenditure for the infrastructure of traditional venues, seminar hotels, etc., drops significantly, as fewer rooms are needed overall.
Venues can therefore use their space more efficiently, and as a long-term consequence, the need for new buildings for teaching purposes decreases, which in turn reduces the consumption of construction materials and the associated CO₂ emissions - and, as a side benefit, takes up less space from nature.
What Slumbers in Secret
Although we already think e-learning is pretty great because of these advantages, it still has a few hidden environmental impacts that most people are not consciously aware of:
1. Servers and Data Centers
E-learning relies on a gigantic digital infrastructure that requires cloud services, streaming platforms, and servers. Server farms and data centers are housed in large buildings that remain hidden or at least unknown to most people. The many devices inside must be operated around the clock and, above all, cooled, which leaves a significant ecological footprint. According to studies, data centers account for about 1% of global electricity consumption, and this number is steadily rising.
2. Resource-Intensive Hardware Production
To participate in digital learning at all, you absolutely need a computer device: PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. The manufacturing of these devices already requires a high energy demand, but even in the production steps beforehand, namely in the extraction and processing of the required raw materials such as copper, gold, and tin, as well as lithium and cobalt, significant environmental damage, human rights issues, and habitat loss often occur.
3. Short Lifespan of Digital Devices
The computer devices required for e-learning often have a limited lifespan, which is shortened even further by the constant introduction of new hardware and software technologies. The need for ever more powerful devices increases the pressure on the required raw material sources on one hand, and on the other, the mountain of electronic waste (e-waste), which is often not recycled, grows.
4. Water Consumption
The production of electronic devices requires large amounts of water, especially in semiconductor manufacturing. This water consumption contributes to environmental problems in regions with water scarcity and is often overlooked when only the energy aspect is considered.
5. Electromagnetic Pollution
The increased use of Wi-Fi networks and mobile technologies to support e-learning leads to higher electromagnetic radiation, known as "electrosmog." Although the effects on the environment and human health have not yet been fully researched, electrosmog is considered a potential factor that could be harmful in the long term.
Another often overlooked factor is the data transfer itself: The larger the volume of data when streaming or downloading learning content, the higher the energy demand in networks and data centers. High-resolution videos or permanently running live formats in particular can unnecessarily increase the ecological footprint if they are not pedagogically essential.
Oh dear - this all sounds terribly depressing, as many of these points seem out of our reach, leaving us unable to change anything. Or can we?
Good News: E-Learning Can Be Made Even More Sustainable
E-learning is, of course, only one area of computer device usage, which is why the above aspects of the hidden ecological footprint naturally apply to every moment a digital device is in operation.
Data center operators know very well that they need to improve their environmental balance, and companies like Google and Microsoft have already launched initiatives to fully convert their data centers to renewable energies or to locate them more frequently in climatically more favorable areas where the energy consumption for cooling systems is lower.
However, there are a few things you can do directly as an online course provider or organizer to act even more environmentally conscious:
1. Raise Awareness for Energy Consumption
Both educational providers and learners should be sensitized to the energy consumption of online courses. Inform your course participants about the energy consumption resulting from the production and operation of electronic devices.
You could also encourage them to actively pay attention to using as little energy as possible: For example, they could use energy-efficient devices that consume less power and use the energy-saving modes of their devices more consistently, such as letting screens switch to sleep mode after a short period of inactivity.
2. Promote the Procurement of Sustainable Devices
It doesn't always have to be the very latest high-end device to learn digitally: There are now numerous online shops where you can buy cheap, used computer devices that have been sustainably refurbished. This way you get a device that is a few generations older and perhaps not quite as pretty because it has a few signs of wear, but it is fully functional, and as long as it isn't way too old, you can easily use it to access learning platforms and complete digital courses.
Used computer devices not only save manufacturing resources, but they also reduce the amount of electronic waste.
3. Reduce the Data Volume of Teaching Materials
When designing your digital teaching materials, make sure that the files are as small as possible. Image files within documents quickly drive up file sizes, and videos are also usually very data-intensive. Therefore, edit your image files and videos before uploading them to your learning platform so they require as little storage space as possible.
Pay special attention to the length or duration of your videos as well as the resolution (Full HD is usually unnecessary). Before uploading, check if you can compress them further to reduce the data volume. If your course participants load or play these files later in the course, it will be much faster and, as a consequence, generate significantly fewer CO₂ emissions.
In addition, smaller files require less Wi-Fi bandwidth, making it easier to access or stream them in regions with limited internet infrastructure. This aspect could also be important for some of your online course participants.
On a Personal Note
Resource conservation is a top priority at blink.it: Managing Director Michael Witzke is tirelessly committed to ensuring that we, especially as a software provider, take the topic of sustainability to heart:
The work equipment of the team (laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other working materials) is used for as long as possible and repaired if necessary.
Regarding the power consumption of our office operations, Michael succeeded in reducing energy costs by an incredible 60% by installing an intelligent control system.
Through remote work and home office, our employees largely stay away from road traffic. We also promote the use of public transport, and those who live nearby prefer to ride their bicycles to the office.
Every single one of us welcomes and supports these efforts and is happy to be able to contribute to resource conservation in this way during our daily work routine.
Conclusion: Everything Begins with Mindfulness
Sustainable e-learning does not happen automatically through digitalization, but through the conscious design of infrastructure, content, and usage.
Digital professional development offers enormous ecological benefits, particularly through the elimination of travel and printed material. At the same time, we cannot ignore the hidden environmental impacts of servers, hardware production, and data volumes.
Those who design learning content with data awareness, use long-lasting devices, and rely on sustainable infrastructure can significantly reduce the ecological footprint of digital professional development. Sustainability does not begin with technology alone, but with mindful decisions in our daily interactions with it.
E-learning can therefore be part of the solution – if we use it responsibly.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Why is e-learning generally considered more sustainable than in-person teaching?
Digital professional development reduces commuting, printed materials, and the energy consumption of training rooms. In many cases, this results in significantly lower CO₂ emissions than traditional in-person events.
What hidden environmental impacts are caused by e-learning?
Digital learning also requires resources, such as through data centers, data transfer, and the production of electronic devices. Streaming, short device lifecycles, and the high energy consumption of infrastructure particularly affect the environmental balance.
How can providers of digital professional development reduce their ecological footprint?
Resource consumption can be significantly reduced through smaller file sizes, compressed videos, energy-efficient technology, and sustainable hardware use. Conscious choices regarding infrastructure and learning materials also play an important role.
Why is the data volume of learning content a sustainability factor?
Large files and high-resolution videos increase energy requirements for storage, streaming, and data transfer. Leanly prepared learning content reduces resource consumption while improving accessibility on slow internet connections.
