In 2024, the World Bank estimated the internet to account for 1-4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, similar to aviation. “If the internet was a country, it would be the 13th largest emitter between Mexico and Brazil,” says the Sustainable Web Manifesto.

These numbers may be dazzling, but there is actually a silver lining here: If you work in tech, you have lots of opportunities to help improve the situation at work.

In this article, we'll look at the Web Sustainability Guidelines and how they apply to the components in your design system.