Sustainably Digital: Part Three – Eco-friendly apps 

Please note our content disclaimer in relation to blog posts.

Eco-friendly apps 

Welcome back to the third instalment of our Sustainably Digital series. Last time, we explored practical ways to reduce our digital carbon footprint. In this article, we’ll be looking at eco-friendly, sustainable mobile apps – and how implementing them can significantly benefit your business. 

Mobile apps have become indispensable for businesses to engage with their customers. In fact, 90% of mobile internet time is spent in apps. Alongside this surge, there’s an increasing demand for more eco-friendly products and services. Together, these trends present a significant opportunity to align your brand with the increasingly eco-conscious customer base you definitely don't want to overlook.

Why sustainable apps matter

Although our mobile devices may not rival fast fashion or air travel when it comes to environmental impact, they still use a considerable amount of energy, needing electricity to function. The average annual carbon footprint of a single smartphone is 63kg CO2e – that’s the equivalent of a 155-mile car journey. 

According to Statista, the global green tech market is projected to hit $62 billion by 2030, growing annually at a rate of 20.8%. Therefore, it’s clear that greener technology, including sustainably developed apps, is a vital part of our future. 

A sustainable app is one that has been engineered with the environment in mind, and developed through eco-conscious processes and strategies. It goes beyond just apps that promote sustainable habits (although these are great, and very important!). We’re talking about apps built from the ground up to minimise environmental impact. Some great examples of sustainable apps include Microsoft Teams, hosted on Microsoft Azure (which is committed to being carbon negative by 2030), and utilises energy-efficient data centres powered by renewable energy. The Spotify app is another example, continuously being optimised to reduce energy consumption and investing in sustainability initiatives and carbon offset programs.

Developing sustainable apps 

• Optimised, energy-efficient coding: Ensure your code is written as lean and efficient as possible in order to reduce energy consumption. By eliminating unnecessary code, you can reduce the energy required to run your app, but also bolster battery life and cut overall power use.
• Cloud computing: Cloud services often thrive on renewable energy and can scale dynamically, ensuring that only essential resources are used.
• Design for longevity and simplicity: Build apps that are designed to last, reducing the need for frequent updates. A minimalistic design approach doesn’t just look good, it’s eco-smart – requiring less storage and battery overall.
• Energy-saving features: Features such as dark mode and efficient data caching are essential for reducing app energy consumption.
• Energy-efficient programming languages: Languages including C++, Rust, and Java are known to be the most energy-efficient. 
• User awareness and education: Be transparent about your app’s eco-friendliness to educate your users on sustainability and promote responsible usage. 
  
  

The payoff of sustainable app development 

Investing in sustainable app development isn’t just about making an environmental statement, it’s about future-proofing your business. As eco-aware consumers gravitate more toward brands that align with their values, sustainably developed apps are the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to the environment and can help you stand out from the crowd.