Generation Z might expect brands to prove their environmental credentials – as well as their purpose, and diversity, equity and inclusion record – but ironically they are the worst offenders when it comes to their personal digital footprint, with millions hording terabytes of “waste” data in fossil-fuelled data centres.
So says a new Veritas Technologies survey, “In the Cloud, Out of Mind”, which claims environmentally aware GenZers – those born between 1997 and 2012 – are not necessarily conscious of how their personal digital footprint from online accounts and applications is negatively impacting the environment.
The study maintains that over half of data stored in predominantly fossil-fueled data centres by businesses is waste data. Unwittingly contributing to this are the 63% of GenZers who have admitted to dormant online accounts giving them access to banking, online shopping, entertainment, insurance, phones, broadband, and utility services that they no longer use.
This figure is higher than for any other age group in the UK – on average 45% of the UK population has dormant online accounts.
The research reveals a major perception gap among GenZers; almost half (49%) said they believe their online accounts have no negative impact on the environment, yet nearly half (45%) also said it is wrong for businesses to waste energy and cause pollution by storing unneeded information online.
Veritas UK&I head of technology Ian Wood said: “Today, we have online accounts for almost everything. Yet millions of these accounts go unused, particularly among the Generation Z demographic. Rather than sitting in a magic cloud, this largely useless account data sits unused in data centres, which are mostly fossil fuel-powered and operate 24 hours a day.
“These data centres account for 2% of all carbon emissions—that’s about the same as the entire airline industry. We know that Generation Z is arguably the most environmentally conscious generation, but knowingly or not, they’re also leading the way among consumers in creating the most carbon emissions from unnecessary data storage.”
The survey, which polled 2,000 people in the UK, also revealed four-fifths (82%) of GenZers have entertainment and shopping accounts that they never touch, with two in five having three or more dormant accounts.
Over two-thirds (69%) of GenZers have an account with an Internet service or mobile phone provider that they no longer interactive with, while two-thirds (66%) have at least one online bank account they no longer use. Meanwhile, a similar number (60%) have an insurance account that is inactive and utility accounts they don’t access.
The study reveals that nearly a third (32%) of GenZers have never even tried to close these unused dormant accounts. The most common reason being that it has no impact on them personally (40%). Almost a quarter (24%) said it is because they simply do not have the time, and 16% believe it is far too complicated.
Wood concluded: “There’s a big information gap if even Generation Z is unaware of the environmental consequences of storing unnecessary data. We all need to be empowered to make good decisions about our online lives and digital footprints—or this issue risks snowballing into a sustainability nightmare for future generations.
“Based on the current growth levels of data storage, unless action is taken, carbon emissions from data are expected to be at least 10% by 2050. We all need to make time for good data housekeeping to make a positive difference and stop this negative trend.
“Easy steps to take are deleting online accounts, images, and documents that we no longer use and unsubscribing from, as well as deleting emails, when we don’t need to store them.”
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