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What is Sustainable Web Design?

What is Sustainable Web Design?

by | Nov 3, 2026 | Green Business, Sustainable Marketing

What is Sustainable Web Design?

Sustainable web design means building websites that use less energy and data while serving people better. Every page view draws electricity in a data centre, across networks and on your visitor’s device, so a lighter, faster site has a smaller footprint. It is also quicker, easier to use and more visible in search.

The internet’s footprint is real and growing. The World Bank and ITU estimate that the ICT sector produced at least 1.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2022. In April 2026 the International Energy Agency reported that data centre electricity use rose 17% in 2025, to around 485 TWh, and could reach 950 TWh by 2030.

Meanwhile, websites keep getting heavier. The 2025 Web Almanac found the median mobile home page weighed 2,362 KB in July 2025, up from 845 KB in 2015.

In brief

  • The ICT sector accounts for at least 1.7% of global emissions, and data centre electricity demand is projected to almost double by 2030.
  • The median mobile home page is now nearly three times heavier than a decade ago.
  • The biggest wins are green hosting, lighter images and video, fewer scripts and fonts, and regular content audits.
  • The same changes improve speed, Core Web Vitals and how well your pages serve both classic and AI search.
  • Any green claim you make about your website must be accurate and evidenced under UK consumer law.

How much carbon does a website produce?

A typical page view produces well under a gram of CO2e, but it adds up across every visit, every page and every website. The most widely used estimate comes from the Sustainable Web Design Model (SWDM), an open methodology from Wholegrain Digital, Mightybytes, Footsprint, EcoPing and the Green Web Foundation. It uses data transfer as a proxy for energy, then multiplies by the carbon intensity of the electricity grid.

Version 4 of the model splits energy use across three parts of the system:

Segment Operational energy (kWh per GB) Embodied energy (kWh per GB)
Data centres 0.055 0.012
Networks 0.059 0.013
User devices 0.080 0.081
Total 0.194 0.106

Sources: Sustainable Web Design (operational figures); GreenCalculus summary of SWDM v4 (embodied figures).

Two things stand out. User devices carry the largest share, and much of it is embodied: the emissions from manufacturing phones and laptops. Heavy websites push people towards newer devices sooner, so page weight matters well beyond the server.

A worked example 

At roughly 0.30 kWh per GB, and using the global average grid intensity of 494 gCO2e/kWh that SWDM v4 applies:

  • 1 GB of data transferred produces about 148 g CO2e.
  • One view of a median mobile home page (2,362 KB) produces about 0.35 g CO2e.
  • A site with 10,000 such page views a month produces about 42 kg CO2e a year.

On Great Britain’s grid, which averaged around 126 gCO2/kWh in 2025 according to BBC analysis of NESO data, the same page view comes to about 0.09 g. These are simplified estimates: they assume every visit is a first visit, with no caching or green hosting.

Why older figures look so different

You may have seen claims that 1 GB of data produces several kilograms of CO2. Those come from older models. The Green Web Foundation notes that SWDM v4 estimates are on average two-thirds lower than v3, largely because the internet has become more energy efficient per byte. Any website carbon figure is only as reliable as the model behind it, so always say which one you used.

What is sustainable web design?

Sustainable web design is an approach to planning, building and running websites that reduces their environmental impact while improving their value to people. It covers hosting and infrastructure, code, content, design and the business decisions behind them.

The Sustainable Web Manifesto sets out six principles that still make a useful checklist:

  • Clean: powered by renewable energy.
  • Efficient: using the least energy and material resources possible.
  • Open: accessible, with an open exchange of information and user control over their data.
  • Honest: not misleading or exploiting users in design or content.
  • Regenerative: supporting an economy that nourishes people and planet.
  • Resilient: working where and when people need it most.

The W3C Web Sustainability Guidelines

The field now has an emerging standard. The Web Sustainability Guidelines (WSG) from the W3C, the body behind web standards, give actionable recommendations for UX design, web development, hosting and infrastructure, and business strategy. They began in a community group in April 2022, became part of the W3C in October 2024, and have been published as Group Note Drafts through 2026.

The WSG frame sustainability around people, planet and prosperity. That means accessibility, privacy and security sit alongside carbon, which is why a sustainable website is usually a more inclusive one too. A browsable version is available at sustainablewebdesign.org.

How to make your website more sustainable: 8 steps

Start by measuring, fix the heaviest items first, then keep the site lean with regular reviews.

1. Measure your baseline

Test your key pages with Ecograder or the Website Carbon Calculator, which moved to SWDM v4 in July 2025. Pair this with Google’s PageSpeed Insights for Core Web Vitals. Record page weight, requests and load times so you can track progress, and consider setting a page weight budget for new pages.

2. Choose verified green hosting

Ask your host for evidence that its infrastructure runs on renewable energy. The Green Web Foundation directory lists independently verified green hosting providers by country, and its Green Web Check shows whether any site is on one. Green hosting reduces data centre emissions only; networks and devices still use energy, so it is one step, not the whole answer.

3. Optimise images

Images are among the heaviest parts of most pages. Compress them, use modern formats such as WebP or AVIF, serve sizes that match the screen, and lazy load anything below the fold.

4. Be selective with video

Video is the heaviest media most sites carry. Ask whether it is essential to the message. If it is, avoid autoplay, show a lightweight poster image until someone presses play, and compress it.

5. Limit fonts

The 2025 Web Almanac found 88% of mobile pages use web fonts. Use system fonts, or a single variable font subset to the characters you need.

6. Keep code lean and question third-party scripts

Remove unused code, plugins and tracking scripts, and implement caching so returning visitors download less. Page builders and no-code platforms can add code you never use, but any platform can be heavy or light: measure what yours actually delivers.

7. Design for quick journeys

Clear navigation and content that answers questions directly mean fewer page loads per visit. That saves energy and frustration, and it is the same thing search engines reward.

8. Audit and declutter regularly

Review your site at least once a year. Remove or merge outdated pages, old PDFs and unused media, and redirect what you remove so you keep any search value.

Why sustainable web design is good for business

The changes that cut a website’s footprint also make it faster, easier to find and more credible.

Faster sites convert better

In the Milliseconds Make Millions study, commissioned by Google and carried out by Deloitte Digital and 55 across 37 brands, a 0.1 second improvement in mobile site speed was linked to 8.4% more conversions for retail sites and 10.1% for travel sites. The study dates from 2020, so treat the exact figures as directional, but the pattern is consistent: speed affects behaviour.

Better Core Web Vitals and SEO

Google’s Core Web Vitals measure loading (Largest Contentful Paint, good at 2.5 seconds or less), responsiveness (Interaction to Next Paint, 200 milliseconds or less) and visual stability (Cumulative Layout Shift, 0.1 or less). According to the 2025 Web Almanac, only 48% of mobile sites pass all three. A lighter site gives you a head start on half the web.

Relevant, helpful content still matters most for rankings. Page experience is what turns that visit into a good one.

Google’s guidance on AI Overviews and AI Mode asks site owners to provide a good page experience for visitors arriving from either classic or AI results. It names whether a page displays well across devices, its latency, and whether visitors can easily tell main content from everything else. Clean, well-structured, fast pages tick all three. The Web Almanac also notes that heavier pages increase the energy and computation needed for crawling and indexing.

Lower running costs

Less data, fewer plugins and simpler builds generally mean less bandwidth, less maintenance and fewer things to break. The scale of the saving depends on your site and hosting plan.

Credibility, without greenwashing

For purpose-driven organisations, a website is often the first proof that your values are real. As we covered in our post on sustainable branding strategy, authenticity is what builds trust.

It also carries legal weight. Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has allowed the Competition and Markets Authority to fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover for breaching consumer law, including misleading environmental claims. So if you describe your website as “green” or “low carbon”, be specific: say what you measured, which model you used and what you changed.

FAQs

How much CO2 does a website produce?

Using the Sustainable Web Design Model v4 and the global average grid, one view of a median mobile home page produces about 0.35 g CO2e. Your figure depends on page weight, traffic, caching, hosting and where your visitors are. Test your own pages with Ecograder or the Website Carbon Calculator.

What is the Sustainable Web Design Model?

It is an open methodology for estimating digital emissions. It converts the data a page transfers into energy across data centres, networks and devices, then into carbon using grid intensity. Version 4 is the current version.

Does green hosting make my website carbon neutral?

No. Green hosting cuts emissions from the data centre, but networks and visitors’ devices still use energy, and devices carry significant manufacturing emissions. Describe what you have done accurately rather than claiming neutrality.

Does a faster website rank higher on Google?

Speed is part of page experience, which Google uses alongside relevance and content quality. A fast site will not outrank a more useful one, but it removes a disadvantage and improves what visitors experience when they arrive, including from AI search results.

What are the Web Sustainability Guidelines?

The Web Sustainability Guidelines (WSG) are recommendations from the W3C’s Sustainable Web Interest Group for building more sustainable digital products. They cover UX design, development, hosting and business strategy, and consider people and prosperity as well as the planet.

How often should I audit my website?

At least once a year, and before any redesign. Check page weight, Core Web Vitals, hosting status and outdated content.

Where to start

Pick your five most visited pages, measure them, and fix the heaviest images, videos and scripts first. If you would like a second pair of eyes on your website or digital communications, get in touch with Growfish.

References

  1. World Bank and ITU (2024). Measuring the Emissions and Energy Footprint of the ICT Sector: Implications for Climate Action.
  2. International Energy Agency (April 2026). Key Questions on Energy and AI, as reported by Eco-Business.
  3. HTTP Archive (2025). Web Almanac 2025: Page Weight.
  4. HTTP Archive (2025). Web Almanac 2025: Performance.
  5. HTTP Archive (2025). Web Almanac 2025 (Fonts chapter).
  6. Sustainable Web Design (2025). Estimating Digital Emissions.
  7. GreenCalculus (2026). Sustainable Web Design (SWD) Model.
  8. Imperial College London. Calculating emissions: FAQs.
  9. Green Web Foundation. Release guide: CO2.js v0.16.
  10. Wholegrain Digital (14 July 2025). Updating Website Carbon to V4 of the Sustainable Web Design Model.
  11. BBC analysis of NESO data (2026), as reported in Record year for wind and solar electricity in Great Britain in 2025.
  12. W3C Sustainable Web Interest Group (2026). Web Sustainability Guidelines (WSG).
  13. Sustainable Web Manifesto.
  14. Green Web Foundation. Green Web Directory.
  15. Google, Deloitte Digital and 55 (2020). Milliseconds Make Millions.
  16. Google. Web Vitals.
  17. Google Search Central (21 May 2025). Top ways to ensure your content performs well in Google’s AI experiences on Search.
  18. Fieldfisher (2025). Greenwashing under scrutiny: the CMA’s new powers to tackle misleading environmental claims.
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portrait of Marta Gintowt
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Written by
Pollyanna Durbin

For more info about growing your business with a sustainable marketing strategy, get in touch with us at growfish.co

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What is Sustainable Web Design?

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What Is the Nature-Positive Economy? Lessons from GoNaturePositive!

What Is the Nature-Positive Economy? Lessons from GoNaturePositive!

by | Oct 21, 2026 | Green Business, Sustainable Marketing

What Is the Nature-Positive Economy? Lessons from GoNaturePositive!

Nature underpins every economy, from the food we eat to the materials we build with. Yet scientists warn that seven of the nine planetary boundaries that keep Earth stable have now been crossed (Stockholm Resilience Centre, September 2025). The nature-positive economy is a response: an economy that doesn’t just slow the damage, but helps nature recover.

For the past two years, Growfish has been part of GoNaturePositive!, an EU-funded project bringing together researchers, businesses, cities and NGOs to turn that idea into practice. Here’s what the nature-positive economy is, what the project has produced, what its six pilots are testing, and how any business can start becoming nature positive.


What is the nature-positive economy?

GoNaturePositive!’s concept note defines a nature-positive economy as one where “the net result of all economic activities combined leads to an absolute increase in nature”, reaching “the point of full recovery and prosperity for all of society” (GoNaturePositive! concept note).

It connects to the wider global goal of being nature positive: halting and reversing nature loss measured from a 2020 baseline, so that nature is visibly recovering by 2030 and fully restored by 2050 (Nature Positive Initiative).

The building blocks of a nature-positive economy

The concept note sets out three types of action every part of the economy can take:

  1. Reduce negative impacts on nature.
  2. Increase positive actions, such as nature-based solutions.
  3. Enact transformative change in how the economy works.

It also considers which actors are involved, from those with high impacts and dependencies on nature to those who shape the economy and those who hold it to account, alongside scale, sectors and social wellbeing, including equity, justice and inclusion (same source).

Shaped by 750 voices

The concept note was co-created. A draft shared between October and December 2024 received more than 750 responses from stakeholders in 50 countries, generating over 2,000 comments. Three themes stood out: trade-offs between nature-negative and nature-positive activities, accountability and safeguards, and bridging Indigenous and local knowledge (same source).

Read the concept note: Framing the Nature-Positive Economy · Key messages and executive summary · Slide deck


What is GoNaturePositive?

GoNaturePositive! is a collaborative initiative funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement No. 101135264). It brings together 20 partners across 14 countries to accelerate awareness and action towards a nature-positive economy among policymakers, investors, businesses and communities (GoNaturePositive!).

The partners

The consortium is coordinated by Trinity College Dublin and includes (GoNaturePositive!):

Type Partners
Universities and research institutes Trinity College Dublin (coordinator), University of Oxford, Aarhus University, Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Ecologic Institute, IKED
Global and city networks WWF, ICLEI Europe, ICLEI Colombia, World Benchmarking Alliance
Finance and sustainability Sustainable Finance Observatory, LGI Sustainable Innovation
Sector and industry bodies European Federation of Green Roofs and Walls (EFB), Asociace zelených střech a fasád (AZSF), ANCV Greenroofs, Etifor
Regional and community organisations Western Development Commission (WDC), Horizon Nua, Voedsel Anders
Communications Growfish & Felicidad

Growfish has helped turn complex research into stories that policymakers, businesses and communities can act on. Our work has included:

  • Communications strategy: developing the Phase 2 strategy, with key messages for businesses, local communities and academics, and a two-year content calendar.
  • Pilot storytelling: writing the web pages for all six pilot sectors, plus social content for the pilots in apiculture, forestry, agri-food and green buildings.
  • Publications: designing and collating the Blue Economy Sectoral Brief, and interviewing the Western Development Commission.
  • Social media: managing and growing the project’s LinkedIn and Instagram, including content for the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the World Biodiversity Forum, World Environment Day, World Ocean Day and Earth Day.
  • Events: helping run three annual general meetings in Ireland, Milan and the Czech Republic, with printed materials, presentation templates, workshops, photography and short-form video.
  • Engagement: copy for a public consultation webinar and the Nature-Positive Pioneer Programme.


The six GoNaturePositive! pilots

The project is testing the nature-positive economy in practice through six sector pilots (GoNaturePositive! pilots):

Pilot Where What it’s doing
Agri-food Flanders, Belgium, with partners in Southeast Asia, Africa and South America Supporting conventional agribusinesses to shift towards agroecology and building the capacity of agroecological enterprises
Apiculture Aburrá Valley, Colombia Scaling the Aburrá Valley Apiculture Programme and improving livelihoods through biodiversity-friendly production
Blue economy West of Ireland Integrating nature-positive principles into regional policy and advancing natural capital accounting
Forestry [Add location; the pilot is in Italy] Increasing knowledge and uptake of nature-positive carbon insetting through training, frameworks and labels
Green buildings European green building sector Showcasing nature-positive indicators across building value chains and the evidence for socio-economic benefits
Tourism Sustainable tourism destinations Increasing the number of tourism businesses generating positive outcomes for nature

Each pilot has co-created a roadmap to a nature-positive economy in its sector. Read the combined pilot roadmaps, or the individual roadmaps for green buildings, blue economy, food systems, forestry, tourism and apiculture.


Other GoNaturePositive! resources

All are free on the GoNaturePositive! resources page.


How can businesses become nature positive?

Using the concept note’s three types of action, here are practical steps any business can take:

  1. Understand your impacts and dependencies. Map where your business affects nature and where it relies on it, from raw materials to water and land. The TNFD’s recommendations, published in September 2023, give a widely used framework for this (TNFD).
  2. Reduce negative impacts first. Cut pollution, waste, land use and harmful sourcing in your operations and supply chain.
  3. Invest in positive actions. Support or adopt nature-based solutions, such as green roofs, habitat restoration or regenerative sourcing. The green buildings and agri-food pilots show what this looks like in practice.
  4. Work with nature-based enterprises. Partner with businesses whose products and services restore nature. GoNaturePositive! is evolving the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform to help connect them.
  5. Measure and report honestly. Track progress with clear indicators and avoid vague claims. From 27 September 2026, EU rules ban generic environmental claims that can’t be backed by recognised excellent environmental performance (COSLAW).
  6. Push for transformative change. Use your voice with suppliers, industry bodies and policymakers to change the rules that make nature loss profitable.
  7. Bring people with you. Communicate what you’re doing clearly to staff, customers and communities. Change spreads through stories people can understand and act on.

Start with your own digital footprint too: our guide to reducing your digital carbon footprint covers simple steps, from green hosting to extending device lifespans.


FAQs

What is the nature-positive economy? An economy where the combined result of all economic activity leads to an absolute increase in nature, reaching full recovery and prosperity for all of society.

What does nature positive mean? Halting and reversing nature loss, measured from a 2020 baseline, so that nature is recovering by 2030 and fully restored by 2050.

What is GoNaturePositive!? An EU-funded project of 20 partners across 14 countries working to accelerate the transition to a nature-positive economy, through research, policy work and six sector pilots.

How can a business become nature positive? Understand its impacts and dependencies on nature, reduce harm first, invest in positive actions such as nature-based solutions, measure and report honestly, and push for wider change.

What is the difference between nature positive and net zero? Net zero focuses on greenhouse gas emissions. Nature positive focuses on the health of ecosystems and biodiversity. Both are needed, and they often support each other.


Communicating the nature-positive economy

Growfish is a Bristol-based sustainable marketing studio and Communications Lead for GoNaturePositive!. We help purpose-driven organisations explain complex nature and climate work in ways people act on. If you’re working on nature-positive projects and want to tell your story clearly and credibly, we’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch with Growfish · See our GoNaturePositive! work

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Sources

GoNaturePositive! is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author only.

portrait of Marta Gintowt

Written by
Pollyanna Durbin

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For more information about growing your sustainable business with a sustainable marketing strategy, get in touch with a member of the team at growfish.co. We’d love to hear form you!

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Best Sustainable Marketing Agencies in 2026 (UK & Europe)

Best Sustainable Marketing Agencies in 2026 (UK & Europe)

by | Oct 20, 2026 | Green Business, Sustainable Marketing

Best Sustainable Marketing Agencies in 2026 (UK & Europe)

Choosing a sustainable marketing agency matters more in 2026 than ever. Customers want brands they can trust, and regulators in the UK and EU now have real powers to penalise vague green claims. The right agency helps you grow and keeps your claims honest.

Below are 8 sustainable marketing agencies across the UK and Europe, what each one specialises in, and how to choose the right one for you.

What is a sustainable marketing agency?

A sustainable marketing agency helps organisations grow in a way that is honest about environmental and social impact. It typically works with purpose-driven clients, backs every claim with evidence, avoids greenwashing, and considers the footprint of its own work, from website energy use to the clients it chooses to take on. Read more in our guide to what a sustainable marketing agency is.

Why work with a sustainable marketing agency in 2026?

  • Customers say they want sustainable choices. In PwC’s 2024 Voice of the Consumer survey of more than 20,000 people in 31 countries and territories, 80% said they were willing to pay more for sustainably produced or sourced goods, with some willing to pay an average of 9.7% more (PwC, May 2024). PwC notes this may not always translate into actual spending, which is exactly why clear, credible communication matters.
  • Vague green claims now carry real penalties in the UK. Since 6 April 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority can enforce consumer law directly and fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover, including for misleading environmental claims (Fieldfisher).
  • New EU rules apply from 27 September 2026. They ban generic claims such as “eco-friendly” unless backed by recognised excellent environmental performance, sustainability labels not based on a recognised certification scheme (COSLAW), and claims that a product is climate neutral based on offsetting (Bird & Bird).

A specialist agency helps you make the most of the opportunity while staying on the right side of these rules.

How we chose these agencies

We included agencies that focus on sustainable, ethical or climate-positive work, describe that focus clearly on their own website, and show evidence of it, such as certifications, memberships, published policies or named clients in the sector. All details were checked on each agency’s own site in October 2026.

The best sustainable marketing agencies in 2026

Agency Based Best for
Akepa (The Sustainable Agency) Barcelona, Spain (remote-first) Growth marketing, paid search and ethical AI for sustainable brands and nonprofits
Wholegrain Digital London, UK Low-carbon websites and digital sustainability
Futerra London, New York and Mexico City Large organisations wanting sustainability strategy, storytelling and training
4Change Marketing London, UK Start-ups and SMEs wanting full-service conscious marketing
Growroom Shrewsbury, UK SEO, paid search and paid social for progressive brands and charities
Creative Wilderness Manchester, UK Small ethical businesses wanting nature-inspired branding
MTC | The Content Agency Remote Thought leadership and B2B content for climate tech
Growfish UK & Europe Sustainability comunications, content and branding for SMEs, nature-positive organisations and conservation charities.

Agency details are taken from each agency’s own website, checked on 20 October 2026.

How to choose a sustainable marketing agency

Use this checklist on any agency you’re considering, including us:

  1. Check their credentials. Look for verifiable certifications such as B Corp, and memberships such as 1% for the Planet or Clean Creatives. Confirm them in the organisation’s own directory.
  2. Ask who they won’t work with. A clear exclusion policy, for example declining fossil fuel clients, shows the values are real.
  3. Look for sector experience. Named clients and case studies in your field matter more than general marketing awards.
  4. Test their approach to claims. Ask how they would evidence an environmental claim. They should know the UK and EU rules described above.
  5. Ask about their own footprint. From website hosting to travel, a sustainable agency should be able to tell you how it reduces its own impact.
  6. Match the specialism to your need. Some agencies in the table focus on video, some on content, some on PPC. Choose for the job you need doing.

Looking for a sustainable marketing agency?

Growfish is a sustainable marketing studio working exclusively with purpose-driven organisations. If you’re looking for help with your brand, website or content, we’d love to hear from you

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FAQs

What does a sustainable marketing agency do? It helps purpose-driven organisations grow through branding, websites, content and campaigns, while making sure every environmental or social claim is honest and evidenced.

Are sustainable marketing agencies more expensive? Not necessarily. Pricing depends on the agency’s size and services. Some list minimum retainers on their sites, so ask for a clear quote early.

What is a B Corp agency? A business certified by the non-profit B Lab for meeting its standards on social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

Can a sustainable agency help me avoid greenwashing? Yes. A good one will check your claims against the evidence and current rules before anything is published. See our guide to how to avoid greenwashing.

portrait of Marta Gintowt
GET IN TOUCH

Written by
Pollyanna Durbin

For more info about growing your business with a sustainable marketing strategy, get in touch with us at growfish.co

SHARE

Related Posts

What is Sustainable Web Design?

What is Sustainable Web Design?

Nov 3, 2026 | ,

Sustainable web design means building websites that use less energy and data while serving people better. Every page view draws electricity in a data centre, across networks and on your visitor's device, so a lighter, faster site has a smaller footprint. It is also...

How to Reduce Your Digital Carbon Footprint: 2026 Guide

How to Reduce Your Digital Carbon Footprint: 2026 Guide

by | Oct 3, 2026 | Green Business

How to Reduce Your Digital Carbon Footprint: 2026 Guide

Every website visit, email, video call and AI prompt uses energy, and every device we use eventually becomes waste. Individually these impacts are tiny. Across a whole business, and a whole economy, they add up, and with AI driving rapid growth in data centre energy use, they’re growing fast.

The good news is that most of the changes that cut a digital footprint also make websites faster, content clearer and costs lower. Here’s what a digital carbon footprint is and 10 practical ways to reduce yours.

What is a digital carbon footprint?

A digital carbon footprint is the greenhouse gas emissions caused by a business’s digital activity. It includes the electricity used by data centres and networks to store and send data, the energy used by the devices that display it, and the emissions from making and disposing of that hardware.

The ITU, the UN agency for digital technologies, estimates that the ICT sector accounts for between 1.5% and 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions (ITU).

Why it matters more in 2026

AI is driving rapid growth in energy use

According to the International Energy Agency, data centres used around 415 TWh of electricity in 2024, about 1.5% of the world’s electricity. That is set to more than double to around 945 TWh by 2030, slightly more than Japan’s total electricity use today, with AI the main driver (IEA, Energy and AI).

Websites keep getting heavier

The HTTP Archive’s 2024 Web Almanac found the median web page now weighs 2,311 KB on mobile and 2,652 KB on desktop. Mobile pages have grown 357% in a decade. Images and JavaScript are the biggest contributors (HTTP Archive Web Almanac 2024).

Devices are piling up

The world generated a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, but only 22.3% was documented as properly collected and recycled. E-waste is rising almost five times faster than documented recycling and is expected to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030 (UNITAR, Global E-waste Monitor 2024).

Green claims are under scrutiny

If you promote your digital sustainability, the claims have to stand up. From 27 September 2026, EU rules ban claims that a product is climate neutral based on offsetting (Bird & Bird), so genuine reductions matter more than ever.

10 ways to reduce your digital carbon footprint

1. Measure your website first

Start with a baseline. Free tools such as the Website Carbon Calculator estimate the emissions of a single page view, giving you a figure to improve on. Test your homepage and your most-visited pages.

2. Make your pages lighter

Images and JavaScript are the heaviest parts of most pages, so start there:

  • Compress images and use modern formats such as WebP or AVIF.
  • Size images to how they’re displayed, rather than uploading full-resolution files.
  • Remove unused plugins, scripts and tracking tags.
  • Use system fonts or fewer font weights.

Lighter pages also load faster, which is better for visitors on slow connections or older devices.

3. Choose green hosting

Check whether your host runs on renewable energy using the Green Web Foundation’s green web check. If it doesn’t, ask your provider about its energy sourcing or consider switching.

4. Design with the W3C Web Sustainability Guidelines

The Web Sustainability Guidelines, published as a draft by a W3C community group in September 2023, set out 93 guidelines and 232 success criteria across user experience design, web development, hosting and business strategy (W3C). They’re a practical checklist for any website project. See also our guide to what is sustainable web design.

5. Clean up your data

Delete old files, duplicate backups and unused accounts, and set retention rules so data doesn’t pile up by default. Less stored data means less energy spent keeping it.

6. Use AI proportionately

AI can save time, but it isn’t weightless. Use it where it genuinely adds value, choose the simplest tool for the task, and avoid generating content, images or video just because you can. Fewer, better pieces of content usually work harder anyway.

7. Send fewer, better emails

Clean your mailing lists, stop sending to people who never open your emails, keep images small, and avoid large attachments. Linking to a file instead of attaching it means it’s stored once rather than in every inbox.

8. Be smart with video

Video is data-heavy. Avoid autoplay, compress files, offer lower resolutions, and ask whether a short clip or a still image would do the same job.

9. Make devices last longer

Extend the life of laptops and phones through repair and upgrades, buy refurbished where possible, and use certified recyclers at end of life. Given how little e-waste is properly recycled, keeping devices in use is one of the most effective steps you can take.

10. Report your progress honestly

Track your figures over time and share genuine reductions, not offsets. Be specific about what you measured and how. Our guide to sustainable vs traditional marketing explains the green claims rules in more detail.

The benefits for your business

  • Faster websites that are easier to use on any device or connection.
  • Lower costs from less storage, lighter hosting and fewer wasted tools.
  • Credible sustainability stories backed by real, measured changes.
  • A head start on regulation as green claims rules tighten in the UK and EU.

FAQs

What is a digital carbon footprint? The greenhouse gas emissions caused by digital activity, from data centres and networks to the devices we use and the hardware we throw away.

How much does the digital sector contribute to emissions? The ITU estimates the ICT sector accounts for between 1.5% and 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Does AI increase your carbon footprint? It can. The IEA expects data centre electricity use to more than double by 2030, with AI the main driver. Using AI where it adds real value, and not by default, keeps your share down.

What is the quickest way to reduce a website’s footprint? Compress and resize images, remove unused scripts and plugins, and switch to green hosting.

Need help reducing your digital footprint?

Growfish is a Bristol-based sustainable marketing studio. We build lighter, faster websites and help purpose-driven organisations communicate their sustainability work honestly. If you’d like help measuring and reducing your digital footprint, we’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch with Growfish

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10 Sustainable Marketing Examples & Campaigns (2026 Guide)

10 Sustainable Marketing Examples & Campaigns (2026 Guide)

by | Sep 16, 2026 | Green Business, Sustainable Marketing

10 Sustainable Marketing Examples & Campaigns (2026 Guide)

The best sustainable marketing doesn’t just say a brand is green. It shows what the brand is actually doing, invites people to take part, and backs every claim with evidence. Here are 10 real examples of sustainable marketing campaigns, what made each one work, one that went wrong, and how to apply the lessons in 2026.

What is sustainable marketing?

Sustainable marketing promotes products, services and ideas in a way that creates lasting value for the business, people and the planet. It is honest about impact, backs claims with evidence, and often encourages people to buy less, buy better or change everyday habits. For a deeper comparison, see our guide to sustainable vs traditional marketing.

Why sustainable marketing matters in 2026

  • Customers say they want it. In PwC’s 2024 Voice of the Consumer survey of more than 20,000 people in 31 countries and territories, 80% said they were willing to pay more for sustainably produced or sourced goods (PwC, May 2024).
  • Vague claims now carry real risk. Since 6 April 2025, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority can fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover for breaking consumer law, including through misleading environmental claims (Fieldfisher). From 27 September 2026, EU rules also ban generic claims such as “eco-friendly” unless they can be backed by recognised excellent environmental performance (COSLAW).

That’s why the examples below share one thing: something real behind the message.

10 examples of sustainable marketing campaigns

1. Patagonia: “Don’t Buy This Jacket”

On Black Friday, 25 November 2011, Patagonia ran a full-page ad in The New York Times headlined “Don’t Buy This Jacket”. It explained that each garment “emits several times its weight in greenhouse gases” and generates waste, and asked readers to think before they bought (Patagonia).

Why it worked: it turned the biggest shopping day of the year into a conversation about consumption, and it was believable because it matched Patagonia’s long-standing repair and reuse message.

2. Patagonia: “Earth is now our only shareholder”

On 14 September 2022, founder Yvon Chouinard announced that Patagonia’s ownership had been transferred to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit. Profits not reinvested in the business are now paid out each year to fight the environmental crisis (Patagonia).

Why it worked: the message was the structure itself. A single, memorable line summed up a change that couldn’t be dismissed as greenwashing.

3. IKEA: “Fortune Favours the Frugal”

Launched in the UK and Ireland on 1 January 2021 with the agency Mother, this campaign recast frugality as something good for people and the planet, encouraging moderation over excess (Creative Moment).

Why it worked: it linked sustainability to saving money, a benefit everyone understands, rather than asking people to sacrifice.

4. IKEA: Buy Back and Resell

IKEA UK buys back assembled IKEA furniture in exchange for a refund card. Items in good condition are resold in stores’ Re-shop and Re-use sections, and IKEA Family members get 15% more on the offer (IKEA UK).

Why it worked: it made the circular choice easy and rewarding, and it brings customers back into stores.

5. adidas x Parley for the Oceans

Announced on Earth Day 2015, the partnership made shoes and clothing using Parley Ocean Plastic, upcycled from marine plastic waste. According to Parley, adidas made around 1 million pairs of shoes with it in 2017, 5 million in 2018 and 11 million in 2019 (Parley).

Why it worked: it turned an environmental problem into a desirable product, and the rising production figures showed it was more than a one-off.

6. Carlsberg: Snap Pack

In 2019, Carlsberg replaced plastic rings on its multipacks with Snap Pack, which glues cans together. Carlsberg says it cuts plastic use on multipacks by up to 76% (Carlsberg Group).

Why it worked: the change was visible every time someone picked up a pack, so the product did the marketing.

7. Who Gives a Crap: humour with a purpose

This Melbourne-born toilet paper brand uses cheeky humour to sell recycled and bamboo toilet paper. It invests 50% of its profits in clean water, sanitation and sustainability, with partners including WaterAid Australia, and says it has raised £11,191,773 to date (Who Gives a Crap).

Why it worked: humour made a dull product memorable, and a specific, published figure made the impact credible.

8. Fairphone: designed to be repaired

Amsterdam-based Fairphone makes long-lasting phones, sells spare parts and repair tutorials, runs a take-back programme, and sources conflict-free tin and tungsten through a transparent supply chain (European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform).

Why it worked: it competes on values most phone brands can’t claim, and the repairability is something customers can test for themselves.

9. Wonderful Copenhagen: CopenPay

Copenhagen’s tourism organisation rewards visitors with free experiences for green actions such as cycling or collecting litter. Participation grew from 5,000 people in the 2024 pilot to 25,000 in 2025, and 7 in 10 participants said they left motivated to change everyday habits (Wonderful Copenhagen). TIME named it one of its Best Inventions of 2025, and it became permanent and year-round in June 2026 (Wonderful Copenhagen).

Why it worked: it rewards good behaviour instead of shaming bad behaviour, and it publishes measured results. Read more in our guide to sustainability in Copenhagen.

10. Bye Bye Plastic Bags

Sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen started Bye Bye Plastic Bags in Bali in 2013, when they were 12 and 10. In 2019, Bali banned single-use plastics including bags, straws and Styrofoam (World Economic Forum).

Why it worked: a clear, simple ask and authentic messengers showed how campaigning can shift both behaviour and policy.

A cautionary example: Oatly

In 2022, the UK Advertising Standards Authority investigated Oatly ads after 109 complaints and found that the brand had failed to substantiate four of the five environmental claims challenged. One example: a claim of “73% less CO2e” than cow’s milk was read as applying to all Oatly products, when the evidence covered only its Barista Edition oat drink (RPC).

The lesson: a good cause doesn’t excuse a loose claim. Make sure every figure applies exactly to what the reader will think it means. Our guide to avoiding greenwashing covers this in more detail.

Sustainable marketing strategies these examples use

Strategy Examples
Encourage buying less or buying better Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket”, IKEA’s “Fortune Favours the Frugal”
Make the circular choice easy IKEA Buy Back, Fairphone
Partner with an environmental cause adidas x Parley, Who Gives a Crap
Let the product change be the message Carlsberg Snap Pack
Reward positive behaviour CopenPay
Prove commitment through structure Patagonia’s ownership change
Back every claim with specific evidence Who Gives a Crap, CopenPay (and the Oatly warning)

Key takeaways

  1. Lead with action, not adjectives. Each example points to something concrete the brand did.
  2. Publish the numbers. Specific, sourced figures, like Who Gives a Crap’s donations or CopenPay’s results, build trust.
  3. Make people part of it. The strongest campaigns give customers a role, from selling back furniture to cycling for a free lunch.
  4. Keep claims precise. As Oatly shows, a claim that is broader than its evidence can undo the good work.
  5. Be consistent over time. Patagonia’s campaigns land because they match decades of behaviour.

Want to build a sustainable marketing campaign?

Growfish is a sustainable marketing studio working exclusively with purpose-driven organisations. If you’d like help turning real sustainability work into a campaign people trust, we’d love to hear from you.

GET IN TOUCH

FAQs

What is an example of sustainable marketing? Patagonia’s 2011 “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad is one of the best-known, asking customers to think before they buy.

What is the difference between green marketing and sustainable marketing? Green marketing promotes a product’s environmental benefits. Sustainable marketing covers environmental, social and economic impact across the whole business.

How do you avoid greenwashing in sustainable marketing? Make specific claims, back them with evidence that matches exactly what you’re claiming, and avoid vague words such as “eco-friendly”. See our list of key sustainability terms.

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For more information about growing your sustainable business with a sustainable marketing strategy, get in touch with a member of the team at growfish.co. We’d love to hear form you!

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Sustainability in Amsterdam: A Model for Doughnut Economics

Sustainability in Amsterdam: A Model for Doughnut Economics

by | Jul 30, 2026 | Green Business

Sustainability in Amsterdam: A Model for Doughnut Economics

Amsterdam is one of the world’s most inspiring sustainable cities. It was the first city to adopt doughnut economics, it topped the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index in 2024, and it is turning bold ambitions into concrete rules, from how it buys materials to how it welcomes visitors.

Here’s how Amsterdam is putting doughnut economics into practice, what it means for tourism, and what businesses and marketers can learn.

What is doughnut economics?

Doughnut economics is a way of thinking about the economy developed by economist Kate Raworth. She first published the idea in a 2012 Oxfam report and expanded it in her 2017 book, Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist (Doughnut Economics Action Lab).

The model has two rings. The inner ring is a social foundation, so that no one falls short on life’s essentials. The outer ring is an ecological ceiling, so that humanity doesn’t overshoot the planet’s limits. The space between is where people and planet can thrive. In the words of the Doughnut Economics Action Lab, the goal is to “meet the needs of all people within the means of the living planet” (same source).

How is Amsterdam implementing doughnut economics?

Amsterdam was the first city to adopt Kate Raworth’s doughnut framework (I amsterdam). It put the idea to work through its Circular Strategy 2020–2025, approved by the city’s College of Mayor and Alderpersons on 8 April 2020 (European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform).

Clear targets

Target Deadline Source
Halve the use of new raw materials 2030 I amsterdam
Halve food waste 2030 NL Times
Cut the city’s own consumption by 20% 2030 NL Times
100% circular public procurement 2030 I amsterdam
Cut CO2 emissions by 60% 2030 Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance
Free of natural gas 2040 Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance
Become a fully circular city 2050 I amsterdam
Cut CO2 emissions by 95% compared with 1990 2050 Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance

Concrete measures

The targets come with practical policies. According to I amsterdam, the city uses its €2.8 billion procurement budget to drive circularity, with a “reuse, unless” policy and mandatory CO2 pricing on investments over €1 million. From 2025, new buildings must use at least 20% timber or bio-based materials, and a Circular Economy Monitor, launched in 2022, tracks material flows towards the 2030 and 2050 goals (I amsterdam). The circular economy already supports around 140,000 jobs in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, about 11% of employment, compared with a national average of 8.1% (same source).

Is Amsterdam a sustainable city?

Yes. Amsterdam topped the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2024, which ranks cities on planet, people and profit, plus a new progress pillar that tracks how sustainability initiatives have changed cities over the past decade (Arcadis). What sets Amsterdam apart is that it treats sustainability as a question of wellbeing as well as emissions. The doughnut asks whether residents’ needs are met, not just whether the economy is growing.

Sustainable tourism in Amsterdam

Amsterdam applies the same thinking to tourism. amsterdam&partners, the public-private foundation behind the I amsterdam brand, works with more than 750 partners and names a sustainable visitor economy as one of its four focus areas.

Its approach centres on welcoming “visitors of value”: people who add to residents’ quality of life, support local businesses and explore beyond the busiest areas. It also encourages train travel within Europe and urges tourism partners to adopt practices such as electric canal boats and green energy (Destination Think, 2023).

The city is backing this with policy. In June 2024 it decided to cut ocean cruise calls at the city-centre terminal to about 100 a year from 2026, close that terminal by 2035, require docked ships to use shore power from 2027, and halve river cruise moorings to 1,150 a year by 2028 (DutchNews).

The organisations driving Amsterdam’s transition

  • Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL), Kate Raworth’s organisation, which runs workshops with businesses and city departments and hosts a global community of practitioners.
  • The Amsterdam Donut Coalition, a grassroots network co-created in 2019 that brings together more than 1,000 people applying doughnut principles in the city.
  • Circle Economy, an Amsterdam-based non-profit founded in 2011, which publishes the Circularity Gap Report.
  • AMS Institute, which researches and designs solutions to urban challenges and educates future engineers.
  • amsterdam&partners, leading the city’s work on a sustainable visitor economy.

What marketers can learn from Amsterdam

At Growfish, we work on sustainability communications for purpose-driven organisations, and Amsterdam’s approach has a lot to teach marketers.

  1. Redefine success. The doughnut measures thriving, not just growth. Ask whether your marketing serves customers’ real needs, not just sales volume.
  2. Market repair, reuse and longevity. A circular economy needs marketing that celebrates products that last, spare parts and second-hand options.
  3. Choose your audience, not just your reach. Amsterdam’s “visitors of value” idea is a brilliant brief for any brand: attract the people who add to what you’re building.
  4. Publish targets and track them. Amsterdam’s monitor and dated goals make its claims credible. Measurable commitments are far more persuasive than aspirations.
  5. Build coalitions. From DEAL to the Donut Coalition, Amsterdam’s progress is shared. Partnerships give sustainability stories credibility no advert can buy.

What hospitality businesses can learn from Amsterdam

Hotels, venues and tour operators everywhere can borrow from Amsterdam’s playbook:

  • Attract guests who fit your values. Like Amsterdam’s visitors of value, focus your marketing on guests who respect the place and support local businesses.
  • Make low-carbon travel part of the offer. Promote rail connections, bikes and electric transport, as Amsterdam does.
  • Design for circularity. Refillable amenities, repair over replacement and local suppliers are all doughnut thinking in practice.
  • Get certified and say what it means. By 2020, more than 50 Amsterdam hotels held Green Key certification (CoStar, 2020). Explain to guests what your certification covers.
  • Keep claims specific. From 27 September 2026, EU rules ban generic environmental claims that can’t be backed by recognised excellent environmental performance. Our guide to sustainable vs traditional marketing explains more.

If you run a hotel, venue or travel business and want your sustainability story to reach the right guests, explore our travel and hospitality copywriting and services, or get in touch.

Frequently asked questions

What is doughnut economics in simple terms? An economic model that aims to meet everyone’s essential needs without overshooting the planet’s ecological limits.

Which city adopted doughnut economics first? Amsterdam, through its Circular Strategy 2020–2025, approved in April 2020.

How is Amsterdam sustainable? It has dated targets to halve new raw material use by 2030 and become fully circular by 2050, circular rules for procurement and construction, and policies to make tourism more sustainable, including limits on cruise ships.

Sources

    For more information about growing your business, get in touch with a member of the team at growfish.co. We’d love to hear from you.

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    portrait of Marta Gintowt

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    Pollyanna Durbin

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