Responsible Digital: Why France Must Step Up Its Efforts

The growing environmental impact of digital technology

Although essential to the transformation of our society, digital technology is not without consequences for the environment. According to ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition), it currently accounts for nearly 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and this share could double by 2025 if no structured action is taken. This footprint is linked to every stage of the life cycle of digital equipment: extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, energy-intensive use and end-of-life management.

As Sylvain Waserman, Chairman and CEO of ADEME, points out, "digital technology can be an extraordinary asset for the ecological transition, but also a disaster if it is left unmanaged". This observation highlights an uncomfortable truth: the exponential growth of digital usage, data centers, the Internet of Things and high-definition streaming is generating increasing environmental pressure.

A striking example of this drift is the proliferation of starter packs, those image montages mass-generated by artificial intelligence and popularized on social media. In April 2025, Le Figaro revealed that millions of these visuals are produced every day, saturating servers and consuming colossal energy resources for content that is ephemeral or serves no lasting purpose. This trend illustrates how recreational and impulsive digital use contributes, often invisibly, to increasing the sector's overall environmental footprint.

In the face of this type of phenomenon, sensible regulation of usage, combined with better user awareness, is becoming essential.

France's role and international influence

In meeting this challenge, France is a pioneer. It is the first country in the world to have legislated for more responsible digital practices, with laws such as the REEN law (French law on reducing the environmental footprint of digital technology) adopted in 2021, which notably requires local authorities to adopt a responsible digital strategy.

From 2026, environmental criteria will become mandatory in all public procurement contracts, a considerable lever for steering all economic players toward more virtuous practices. This momentum is already spreading to the private sector, where many large companies now incorporate life cycle assessment (LCA) of equipment into their purchasing decisions.

However, France cannot act alone. Digital technology is a globalized system: without international governance, the impact of national efforts will remain limited. Sylvain Waserman stresses the need for regulation on a global scale, without which digital technology could "spiral out of control" in terms of environmental impact. There is therefore an urgent need to build global cooperation on standards for eco-design, planned obsolescence and data management.

Best practices to strengthen and spread

The transition to responsible digital practices does not rest solely with institutions: companies, local authorities and citizens all have a key role to play. Adopting an approach of digital sobriety is essential. This involves simple but effective actions: turning off unnecessary notifications, avoiding high-definition streaming when it is not needed, choosing Wi-Fi over 4G or 5G, switching off devices on standby and extending the lifespan of equipment.

Eco-design of digital services is another major focus. In 2024, ADEME, Arcep and Arcom jointly developed a reference method for the eco-design of digital services, enabling developers and publishers to limit the environmental impact of their platforms right from the design phase. In practice, this means reducing unnecessary lines of code, making images lighter, avoiding autoplay videos and optimizing website architecture so that sites consume fewer server resources.

For companies, adopting these best practices is also becoming a strategic issue, both to meet growing regulatory requirements and to showcase their CSR commitment (Corporate Social Responsibility). Responsible digital is emerging as a new pillar of sustainable performance.

Leasetic supports companies toward more responsible digital practices

At Leasetic, we believe it is possible to reconcile technological innovation, economic performance and environmental standards. Through our financing, IT equipment life cycle management and asset recovery services, we help organizations reduce their carbon footprint while keeping their costs under control.

Our experts support purchasing departments, IT departments and CSR departments in implementing responsible digital strategies and in transitioning to an optimized, sustainable and flexible IT fleet. Contact our teams to build, together, a more sober, smarter and resolutely forward-looking digital environment.

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