Over the course of 2023, our Group's main websites, with almost 490 million total page views, generated around 397 tonnes of CO2eq, as much as would be produced by, say, a car driving 33 times around the planet.
This is the result of the calculation that we have been carrying out since 2020 thanks to the CO2web® methodology developed by Rete Clima, a non-profit organisation specialised in the promotion of sustainability in organisations, and verified by the ICMQ Certification Body. The web, in fact, contributes to the generation of harmful emissions, for example through the energy consumption of the servers that host websites and the services that are needed to run them.
This year, we continue to offset the climate impact of our websites by supporting The Envira Amazonia REDD+ (Reduction of emissions from deforestation and degradation) project in Brazil.
Protecting the Amazon rainforest
The Envira Amazonia REDD+ project aims to prevent the deforestation of 39,000 hectares of tropical rainforest in Brazil, preserving local biodiversity and providing economic opportunities for local communities.
The project produces a range of environmental, social and economic benefits for the area and its population and avoids the release of approximately 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year over a 30-year period.
Specifically, in addition to protecting endangered plant and environmental species, it provides training courses on sustainable agriculture, new job opportunities and social programmes for the collection, transport and sale of açaí and medicinal plants.
Along with the carbon offsetting activity in Brazil, this year we will also organise a new forestation project in Italy, following those in Milan and Rome which saw the active participation of TIM employees.
Rete Clima's CO2web® method
To assess the emissions of TIM Group websites, the CO2web® method developed by Rete Clima and verified by the ICMQ certifying body was used. This method calculates the greenhouse gas emissions generated by website hosting on the basis of the energy consumed by the servers hosting the web pages and of all the services required for their operation, including cooling.
Emissions were neutralised through the cancellation of carbon credits in support of an international environmental protection project, certified in accordance with the VCS-Verra standard, to generate an equal amount of positive environmental impact (carbon offsetting), validated and verified in accordance with the CCBS - The Climate Community and Biodiversity Standards with Triple Gold Level Distinction for positive impact on climate change mitigation, support to local communities and the protection of biodiversity.
Finally, the carbon neutrality of the sites has been certified with the issue of a green label "CO2 emission zero® website", which will appear on all the Group's websites.
