A web that generates as little CO2 as possible
Digital technology has a very real carbon footprint. Ours is measured and reduced at the source: about 0.9 tonnes of CO2e for the entire agency in 2025, thanks to servers powered by Quebec hydroelectricity, lightweight sites and lean habits. No carbon credits, no gimmicks — concrete choices, with the numbers right here.
Yes, the web emits CO2
Every page viewed sets servers, networks and devices in motion. According to common estimates, digital technology accounts for around 3 to 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions — comparable to aviation. Three factors weigh the most: the electricity powering the servers, the amount of data transferred and the lifespan of the equipment.
This footprint can't be brought down to zero. But we can take serious action on each of the three factors — and that's exactly what we do.
The Quebec advantage: hydro-powered servers
The sites we host run in data centres in Quebec, powered by an electrical grid that is more than 99% renewable, essentially hydroelectric. It's one of the lowest-carbon sources of electricity in the world: per kilowatt-hour, it emits hundreds of times less CO2 than the coal- or gas-powered grids that run much of the web.
In concrete terms: the factor that weighs heaviest in a site's footprint — server electricity — is addressed at the source, with no offsets or accounting tricks. It's also a sovereignty choice: your data stays in Quebec, Law 25 compliance included.
Even the content delivery network (CDN) that speeds up our sites follows this logic: its operator is committed to powering its network with renewable energy, and its Montreal point of presence — where Quebec traffic is generally served from — also runs on hydroelectricity. Our other technology providers are local too, starting with our IT partner in Drummondville.
Our everyday practices
Lightweight sites, served from cache
Compressed images, optimized code and multi-level caching: a page served from cache requires a fraction of the energy of a page rebuilt from scratch. Less data transferred means less electricity — and a faster site for your visitors.
Remote work as the norm
Our projects are run remotely, from Drummondville to everywhere in Quebec: video-call meetings, online approvals. Team travel is the exception, not the rule.
Hardware that lasts
Manufacturing a computer often emits more CO2 than years of using it. Our equipment is used for a long time, repaired rather than replaced, and replaced only when necessary.
Data sobriety
Storage means continuous consumption. We clean out what's no longer needed: old backups, orphaned files, expired data. Sensible backups rather than endless accumulation.
Our 2025 footprint, in numbers
Estimated using the GHG Protocol method (scopes 1, 2 and 3), for the entire agency.
- Cloud computing and hosting377 kg
- Computer hardware (manufacturing)300 kg
- Team remote work (756 person-days)227 kg
- Office electricity (6,600 kWh of hydroelectricity)4 kg
- Business travel and commuting0 kg
The heaviest item — cloud computing — is already reduced at the source: our providers serve most traffic from Quebec or on renewable energy. The assessment is redone every year, with documented emission factors.
What we don't claim
We are not carbon neutral: our assessment is an internal estimate, not a third-party audit, and we don't buy carbon credits to display a zero. We prefer an honest, small number to a purchased zero. If our approach evolves — external verification, offsets — this page will be updated accordingly.
It's the same philosophy as everything else we do: no inflated promises. Any number we publish has to be defensible.
Good news: a lean site is a better site
Reducing a site's footprint and improving its performance are the same work: lighter pages load faster, keep visitors engaged longer and please Google's Core Web Vitals. Web eco-responsibility isn't a compromise — it's a consequence of a well-built site.
Curious where your site stands? Our free analysis measures its weight and real-world speed — two good indicators of its footprint. And our Quebec-based hosting settles the electricity question at the source.
A lighter site starts with an honest picture
Free analysis of your site's speed and weight, or a conversation about hydro-powered hosting.
Questions fréquentes
What is Elefen's carbon footprint?
About 0.9 tonnes of CO2e for the entire agency in 2025, estimated using the GHG Protocol method (scopes 1, 2 and 3): cloud computing 377 kg, hardware 300 kg, remote work 227 kg, office electricity 4 kg, travel 0. That's less than a single round trip from Montreal to Paris by plane.
Is Elefen a carbon-neutral agency?
No. Our assessment is an internal estimate, not a third-party verification, and we don't buy carbon credits to display a zero. Our approach: actually reducing emissions at the source — hydroelectric hosting, lightweight sites, digital sobriety — and publishing an honest number, redone every year.
How does a website produce CO2?
Three main sources: the electricity of the servers hosting the site, the energy of the network carrying the data to visitors, and the manufacturing of devices. Digital technology accounts for around 3 to 4% of global emissions according to common estimates.
Why does hosting in Quebec make such a difference?
Because Quebec's electrical grid is more than 99% renewable, essentially hydroelectric — one of the least carbon-intensive electricity supplies in the world. The same site uses the same energy, but its carbon footprint is hundreds of times smaller than on a grid powered by coal or gas.
Does an eco-friendly website cost more?
No — it's the same work as a high-performance site: lightweight pages, optimized images, efficient caching. A lean site loads faster, ranks better on Google and often costs less in server resources. Eco-responsibility is a consequence of quality, not an add-on.