Design better to consume less: the challenge of digital responsibility

Long presented as a virtuous alternative to physical, paper-based practices, digital technology is no longer exempt from environmental concerns. In France, it will account for 4.4% of the national carbon footprint, according to ADEME¹ in 2024. This figure covers the entire value chain: equipment manufacturing, network infrastructures, data centers, but also increasingly intensive everyday use.

Web browsing, online video, massive data storage, artificial intelligence, the multiplication of digital services: these uses, which have become commonplace, now call into question the way in which services are conceived, designed and maintained over time. All the more so as, according to projections, the carbon footprint of digital technology could triple by 2050 compared to 2020 if current trends continue, even before the impact of the rise of generative artificial intelligence has been fully measured.

Against this backdrop, a central question emerges: how can we design more energy-efficient digital services, without compromising performance, accessibility and the quality of the user experience?

Web eco-design: meeting the performance and sustainability challenge

The environmental impact of digital technology is not limited to greenhouse gas emissions. It also includes the depletion of natural resources, water and energy consumption, and the production of electronic waste linked to the rapid obsolescence of equipment and software.

Contrary to certain preconceived ideas, eco-design is not synonymous with renunciation. It invites us to arbitrate methodically between performance and sobriety, giving priority to services that are useful, efficient and capable of lasting over time. A lighter site is often faster, more accessible and more resilient in the face of changing uses and technologies.

Towards new uses of digital responsibility

To support this transformation, the RGESN (General Policy Framework for the Ecodesign of Digital Services) provides an operational reference framework. It comprises 78 practical sheets enabling digital project design, development and management teams to integrate concrete environmental criteria at every stage.

The reference framework is based on three key eco-design principles:
 

• Utility, by questioning the relevance of a service or functionality before its creation, but also during its evolution.
   
• Efficiency, by choosing technical solutions that consume the least resources and emit the least emissions.
   
• Sustainability, by combating software and hardware obsolescence, to guarantee a service that can be used over the long term, even on older equipment.

"The RGESN (General Policy Framework for the Ecodesign of Digital Services) is more than just a tool. It anchors eco-design in a global digital strategy, aligned with requirements for transparency, monitoring and continuous improvement", Sandrine Elmi Hersi, Head of the Open Internet Unit at Arcep.

At SNCF Connect & Tech, an integrated approach right from the design stage

Eco-design is an integral part of a structured approach to digital responsibility, recognized by the award of the Label Numérique Responsible level 2. Inspired by the RGESN (General Policy Framework for the Ecodesign of Digital Services), the SNCF Connect & Tech teams developed the site by integrating eco-design principles right from the first phases of the project: design of mock-ups, definition of user journeys, graphic choices and technical decisions. 
 

This resulted in precise choices: limiting the use of flat colors, reducing the number of images, eliminating less useful components such as certain carousels, and rationalizing functionalities.
 

On a technical level, images are compressed and resized according to screen size, and lazy loading means that visual content is only loaded when it is really needed for display. Videos are not integrated directly into the site, but hosted on external platforms, in order to limit page weight and data flows.

The process doesn't stop when the site goes online. It continues throughout the life of the site, thanks to regular monitoring of the environmental footprint, based on several key indicators: page weight limited to 3 MB, number of requests per screen below 60, volume of data transferred and EcoIndex score maintained above a D grade... Teams contributing to the site are trained to ensure compliance with RGESN (General Policy Framework for the Ecodesign of Digital Services) criteria each time content is added.

Far from being a brake on performance, this approach demonstrates that eco-design is not about designing less, but designing better. By reconciling sobriety, performance and sustainability, SNCF Connect & Tech is asserting its vision of digital responsibility as a strategic lever, serving essential uses and long-term performance.

Source : ¹ Update on figures for the digital impact in France, Interministerial Mission for Eco-Responsible Digital Technology