We manage an estate of around 15,000 Windows PCs and 2,500 Macs. Whilst many devices are within a five-to-six-year age range, there are devices at Imperial that are older with less efficient CPU’s that draw more power usage.

ICT has been investing in and modernising our computing estate, this ensures we benefit not only from more efficient technology, but also more secure, improving our cyber security posture. Visit our device lifecycle management pages to learn how we recycle electronic waste. 

In 2020, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – comprising data centres, communication networks, and user devices – accounted for an estimated 4-6% of global electricity consumption. Notably, user devices were found to be the major energy consumers at 60%, surpassing the combined energy usage of networks (20%) and data centres (20%) (UK Parliment, 2022). While addressing ICT emissions requires significant political and industrial endeavours, consumers also play a pivotal role. Recognizing the lifecycle impact of our devices encourages thoughtful consideration in our purchasing decisions and prompts reflection on our usage habits once the device is in our possession.

Literary estimates (Goodwin & Ramano, 2021) for cradle-to-grave emissions per laptop are as follows:

  • Mean – 230.2 kg CO2 eq.
    • Equivalent to a train journey of 4025 miles
    • or 28000 smartphone charges
  • Range - 122.2-614.46 kg CO2 eq.

Approximately a third of the associated emissions directly stem from end-user usage, while the remaining energy is consumed in the mining, manufacturing, packaging, and transportation processes.

Sustainability education accordion