Digital agency Luminary has marked its 20th birthday by attaining carbon neutral certification in a move which reflects a growing awareness of the environmental impact of the internet.
The IT sector is already estimated to consume approximately 7% of global electricity, and with a threefold increase in global internet traffic expected by 2020, that energy footprint is expected to rise even further.
“As a digital agency, we recognise that the work we do impacts the environment,” Luminary CEO Marty Drill says.
“We recently undertook a full assessment of our carbon usage, through an accreditation agency called Carbon Neutral, and the results were staggering. In the past year alone, we produced 110 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Our impact stems from computers, offices, fridges, flights, staff travel to and from work, and web servers that run 24 hours a day.”
The main focus of the agency’s new environmental program is the planting of trees in Western Australia and Victoria.
On Sunday 21 July, Luminary will hold its inaugural tree planting day. The agency’s staff and their families will work with an organisation called Fifteen Trees to plant 500 trees in the outskirts of Melbourne.
Luminary will invest in carbon offsets with Carbon Neutral through the planting of trees in the Reforestation Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Project in Western Australia.
As well as planting trees, Luminary’s environmental initiatives include a comprehensive recycling program, a policy of sourcing and engaging ethical suppliers, minimising unnecessary travel through the use of teleconferencing, and encouraging staff to walk, run or ride to work.
“Our recycling program includes the recycling of coffee grounds from our coffee machine through a Melbourne-based company called Reground, which collects and redistributes coffee grounds to community gardens for compost,” Drill says.
“We’ve stopped purchasing plastic bottles in our offices and installed filtered water taps instead, and many of our old computers are donated to the Jodie O’Shea orphanage in Bali.
"To celebrate our 20th birthday, we’ve also provided our team members with reusable water bottles and coffee cups. Becoming carbon neutral for our 20th birthday allows us to contribute to a brighter future."
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