In an increasingly digital world, it’s easy to overlook the environmental impact of our websites. But every page load consumes energy, contributing to your business’s carbon footprint. At Perspektiv, we decided to take a closer look at our website’s sustainability—and what we discovered might surprise you.
Here’s how we made our website more sustainable and more accessible, and why every business should do the same.
Why Website Sustainability & Accessibility Matter
Did you know your website could be harming the planet? Every time someone visits your site, electricity is used by both the device loading the page and the servers hosting it. This process emits CO₂, adding to your business’s digital carbon footprint.
Two key areas to focus on:
Sustainable websites: By reducing file sizes, optimising images, and choosing green hosting providers, you can significantly cut down your website's carbon footprint.
Accessible websites: Designing for accessibility improves usability for people with disabilities, those using assistive technologies, or anyone with a slower internet connection. Features like clean code, readable fonts, optimised images, and clear colour contrast enhance the user experience—while also reducing page load times and emissions.
In short, sustainability and accessibility go hand in hand, delivering a better experience for users and the planet.
The Sustainability Audit: Our Website’s ‘Before’ Picture
When we audited our site, the results were eye-opening:
Carbon Rating: F
Performance Score: 47%
CO₂ Emissions: 2.14g per page visit
Our site was dirtier than 90% of all web pages globally
To put that in perspective:A site receiving 10,000 visits per month at 2.14g per visit emits 21.4kg of CO₂ monthly—the equivalent of driving a petrol car 90km.
How We Transformed Our Websites Carbon Footprint
Determined to reduce our digital footprint, we implemented several changes:
✅ Switched to Green Hosting
Our website now runs on servers powered by sustainable energy. Check if your site uses green hosting: Green Web Check
✅ Optimised Website Performance
We simplified code, compressed images, and removed unnecessary data-heavy features. Result? Performance Score: 100% on Google Lighthouse
✅ Improved Accessibility
We achieved a 100% accessibility rating, ensuring our site is usable by all.View our Accessibility Statement
✅ Reduced CO₂ Emissions
Our carbon output dropped to 0.10g per page visit—cleaner than 90% of global web pages, earning us an A carbon rating.
➡️ But We’re Not Done Yet
While we’ve reduced emissions by over 95%, the gold standard for lightweight, sustainable websites is around 0.02g – 0.05g per visit. We’re proud of our progress—but committed to continually reviewing and refining our site to lower our footprint even further.
Why Small Websites Still Matter
You might assume that smaller businesses or lower-traffic sites have little impact. But as our experience shows, poorly optimised sites—even small ones—can emit unnecessarily high amounts of CO₂.
For reference:
Website Type | CO₂ per Visit |
Highly Optimised Site | 0.2g or less |
Industry Average Site | 0.5g – 1.76g |
Poorly Optimised Site | 3g+ |
Considering how many websites the average person visits daily, the cumulative effect of high-carbon websites becomes significant.
Take Action: Assess Your Website Today
At Perspektiv, our website overhaul has:
Lowered emissions by over 95%
Improved loading speeds & user experience
Increased accessibility for all users
Reduced our hosting costs
If you're serious about sustainability, your website is an inexpensive place to start.
Tools to Help You Assess:
🌎 Website Carbon Calculator – Measure your site’s carbon footprint
♻️ Green Hosting Check – Find out if your hosting provider uses renewable energy
Ready to Reduce Your Website’s Footprint?
It only takes a few small tweaks to make a big difference. We encourage every business—large or small—to take a look at their digital impact. Assess your site, make improvements, and join us in creating a more sustainable, accessible web.
Need guidance? Contact the Perspektiv team to learn more about how we transformed our website.
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