The environmental impact of digital technology: the case of the metaverse

Lab-by-APL’s participation in this symposium is in line with APL Data Center’s objective of actively contributing to the digital transformation of the African continent. The article about this presentation was published in January 2024 by the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES), which brings together 19 member countries. Its missions include the collection and publication of all academic documents and rigorous scientific research.

The metaverse is an entirely virtual 3D universe in which people interact with other users through avatars, using their virtual reality headset, mobile phone, computer, or tablet. It offers interesting prospects in terms of flexibility and new business models for the world of work.

However, despite its virtual nature, digital technology relies on physical infrastructures which have an environmental impact during their manufacture, use and end-of-life processing.

In 2022, according to a study by Ademe and Arcep, the digital sector’s impact on climate change is estimated at 16.9 Mt CO2 eq. or 2.5% of France’s carbon footprint. This study also shows that “user” devices are responsible for the majority of impacts for each indicator (between 63.6% and 92% of impacts), followed by data centers and networks (respectively between 4% and 22.3%, and between 2% and 14%).

The environmental impact of the metaverse, like that of digital technology in general, can be measured using a life cycle assessment (simplified in this case), which takes into account the impact of all the materials and technologies used and implemented to provide the service.

The results of the study carried out by Lab-by-APL estimated the impact of the virtual reality headset (user device) at between 70 and 200 kg CO2eq over its entire life cycle, or 10% of the annual carbon budget of a sustainable human (2 T Co2eq). Whereas, at the very least, a mobile phone application would have an environmental footprint 10 times greater in the metaverse than without it.