The footprint of digital devices
Life cycle of a device, in kgCO2e, including manufacturing
The footprint of digital devices
The analysis
- A new smartphone weighs 80 kgCO2e, as much as 560 km in a petrol or diesel car.
- Keeping devices for longer is the digital action that matters most, AI included.
The figures
- The dark part of each bar is manufacturing: it accounts for most of the footprint, from 76% for a box to 99% for a smartphone.
- Television (8 years of use): 370 kg.
- Laptop (5 years of use): 190 kg.
- Tablet (3 years of use): 87 kg.
- Internet box (5 years of use): 81 kg.
- Smartphone (2.5 years of use): 80 kg.
Assumptions
- Life cycle: manufacturing, distribution, electricity over the period of use, end of life.
- Average values, French electricity for use.
- The servers and networks used by the device are not counted here.
Continue with hardware
The whole Hardware topic →Charts and maps
Chart
HardwareElectronic waste and AI22.3%of 2022 electronic waste collected and recycledChartHardwareElectricity for manufacturing AI chips+351%of electricity to manufacture AI chips, in one yearChartHardwareLife cycle assessment of Mistral Large 261%for materials, the manufacture of servers and chipsChartHardwareManufacture of an AI server, by component42%of manufacturing: memory, the largest item
HardwareElectronic waste and AI22.3%of 2022 electronic waste collected and recycledChartHardwareElectricity for manufacturing AI chips+351%of electricity to manufacture AI chips, in one yearChartHardwareLife cycle assessment of Mistral Large 261%for materials, the manufacture of servers and chipsChartHardwareManufacture of an AI server, by component42%of manufacturing: memory, the largest item
Across the hub
AI Impact DatabaseAll the figures, their methodology and their sources.
AI Ranking10 assistants rated out of 100: performance, ethics and environment.
AnalysesThe signed pieces: analyses, viewpoints, "Where does this figure come from?".
Charts and mapsYou are hereThe reference visuals, with their data and sources.
ToolsOpen calculations, your assumptions on the left, the result on the right.
A question about a figure?
An error, a source to add, a methodology question, a press request: write to us. Guillaume Pakula, Clément Reynaud, Sébastien Pierfederici and Alexandre Veilly will reply.
Write to us →
Projet Celsius, which runs this hub, also helps companies measure and reduce the footprint of their AI use.
Accounting for AI in your Bilan Carbone® ↗
