Carbon footprint of paper vs digital: what is the real environmental impact?

Every action counts when it comes to preserving the environment. Many leaders wonder whether switching from traditional paper to fully digital processes is truly better. However, some studies show that digital tools are not always less energy-consuming than paper, except in sectors with heavy paper use. So, how to choose?

Numerous studies since the 1990s have highlighted paper’s environmental footprint at various levels.
First, paper production is one of the leading causes of deforestation worldwide. Although sustainable forest management and recycling exist, global paper production still heavily impacts ecosystems.
Paper manufacturing requires significant water — between 5 and 10 liters per A4 sheet! Alongside the textile industry, paper is one of the largest water consumers globally.
Energy consumption is also high (wood processing, bleaching, transport), estimated at about 1.5 kg of CO2 per kilo of paper.
Factory emissions contribute to air and water pollution through toxic agents.
Paper can be recycled only a limited number of times, and even recycling consumes water and energy.

Digitalization has enabled dematerialization, avoiding mass printing. A single device can hold countless documents and run many applications.
This reduces tree cutting, water use, and energy consumption. Digitalization also cuts transportation of physical documents, lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Digital tools have changed practices: sharing files online, video conferencing to avoid travel, and reducing physical storage. ADEME reports dematerialization can reduce CO2 emissions by 30 to 60%, depending on the sector.

Digital has environmental impacts too, but it can be less polluting if used wisely.

A real environmental impact

Digital relies on hardware (computers, tablets, smartphones), whose manufacturing is energy-intensive (100–200 kg CO2 per device) and requires rare metals extraction.
Data centers consume energy to run and cool servers. Globally, data centers use 1 to 1.5% of electricity and produce 0.5% of CO2 emissions.

A more positive long-term outlook

Digital technology saves paper and water over time. For example, schools using digital materials save 150–200 kg of paper yearly, equivalent to 225–300 kg CO2.
Efforts remain to encourage sustainable digital practices.

Responsible digital practices

• Extend device lifespan by encouraging durable, repairable, and refurbished equipment.

• Limit unnecessary data storage since 1 GB stored for a year produces about 1.8 kg CO2. Delete unused emails, duplicates, and obsolete files regularly. Avoid overloading cloud services with high-definition media unless necessary.

• Prefer hosting solutions powered by renewable energy.

Sectors like education have reduced environmental impact and saved money by digitizing teaching materials, attendance sheets, evaluations, admin documents, and correspondence.
Digital solutions offer an eco-friendly alternative for more sustainable practices.