Illustration of a computer and a smartphone. - SUPERSTOCK / SUPERSTOCK / SIPA

European carbon tax, reduced VAT on refurbished terminals or ban on unlimited mobile plans: a fact-finding mission to the Senate proposed this Wednesday first measures to limit the ecological impact of digital technology in France. According to a study commissioned by the fact-finding mission, in 2019 digital represented 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions in France (15 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent) and could increase by 60% by 2040, have said the senators.

Exclusive. According to the #iNum Digital study, it is 5.2% of France's greenhouse gas emissions! We import these emissions, which mainly take place during the manufacturing of the equipment. See: https://t.co/GdpIZivSB9 #iNum #GreenIT #SobNum

- GreenIT.fr (@greenit) June 23, 2020

But the figure amazes experts, like the organization GreenIT, which published this Tuesday a report estimating the same impact around 5% in 2020 and wonders about the perimeter taken into account by the senators. The two studies agree, however, on the most important source of these emissions: user terminals (televisions, especially larger screens, smartphones, computers, connected objects), mainly during their manufacture abroad.

Encourage the second-hand market

"The reduction of the digital carbon footprint in France will have to go through a limitation of the renewal of terminals, while the lifespan of a smartphone is now 23 months," explain the senators in their report. They thus propose to encourage the purchase of refurbished terminals thanks to a European carbon tax, or by applying a 5.5% VAT on the repair of terminals or the acquisition of second-hand devices.

Senators are also working to slow the growth of Internet usage, consumers of power, by banning unlimited mobile data plans and taxing larger data providers, such as streaming platforms. On the other hand, they call on data centers to set up in France, where they could benefit, according to their analysis, from a lower carbon footprint thanks to an energy mix highly dependent on nuclear power, which emits less CO2 than thermal power plants.

5G assessment underway

Regarding telecom networks, responsible for 5% of the total digital carbon footprint, the senators want to continue equipping the entire territory with fiber optics, but reserve their opinion on the new generation of 5G mobile networks, which will lead to a increase in data consumption and renewal of terminals, pending an assessment of its environmental impact.

"I am quite positively surprised that the Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Minister for Health have adopted this position," declared Senator de l'Ain Patrick Chaize, president of the fact-finding mission. Minister of Ecological Transition Élisabeth Borne and Minister of Health Olivier Véran sent a letter to the Prime Minister asking to wait for an assessment of the health and environmental effects of 5G before deploying this new network.

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