2023 - November and December - page 26
Image details
| Issue number | 395 |
|---|---|
| ISSN | 2632-7171 |
| Publication date | 1st November 2023 |
| Transcription |
magazine Feature Digital archiving for a greener tomorrow: decarbonisation in practice In this article Stacey Anderson and James Gibbs, both from The Box Plymouth, look at the importance of addressing digital sustainability alongside other environmental mitigations. his is an intriguing time for archives and records practitioners. Current worldwide issues and social movements, including COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter, have led to a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, global conflict, displaced populations and climate emergencies. These have significantly impacted our sector's positioning and approach. The climate emergency, in particular, has prompted us to reflect on our practices, assess our carbon footprints and rethink the way we work. Mitigating climate and environmental impact has mainly been addressed through building design and physical collection care revisions. However, we now see research focussing on digital archiving which has become part of the standard remit of most archive services today. Digital archiving is acknowledged to both enhance access and preserve collections whilst also being seen as a solution for mitigating the heavy carbon footprint associated with physical collections care. Digital preservation does not come without environmental impact, and awareness of the carbon cost of digital preservation is now growing, informed by online workshops, carbon literacy training, carbon calculators, methodologies and the efforts of preservationists motivated to share their practice. In 2022, ARA created the ARA Environmental Sustainability Group to both address and acknowledge the relevance of climate change for the profession. While the carbon footprint of individual digital archives varies based on size and scope, the cumulative impact of numerous archives, data centres, and online services is significant due to the energy required to sustain them. As participants in a shared information ecosystem, it’s our collective responsibility to be accountable for this impact. Data centres contribute 2.5-3.7 per cent of global emissions compared to aviation at 2.1-2.4 per cent. 26 Carbon Literacy logo © Stacey Anderson Digital Sustainability Presentation at ARA Conference, 2022 © Stacey Anderson Digital Sustainability Presentation, RLUK Digital Shift Webinar, 2023 © Stacey Anderson About 65 per cent of data is dark (rarely or never used), 15 per cent is redundant or outdated, and there is also duplication (see costs of digitalisation to society, industry |