We all know that e-mails have a lesser impact on the environment of a letter, but how much? And above all, how can be made even more “green”? These are the questions that attempts to answer the research initiated by Sun Microsystems to measure the ecological footprint of electronic mail.

“The E-mail is a formidable application to try to measure the ecological footprint, because it is universal and there are billions every day,” says Richard Barrington, head of the Department sustainability and public policies of Sun, adding: “No is an easy task, but we are examining the servers, used different software, network devices and trying to extrapolate the energy used for email. ”

The objective of the study is to demonstrate so strict that email has a significant environmental advantage compared to other methods of communication. Indeed, despite all recognize that the benefits outweigh social and environmental impact material technology, to prove the superior environmental performance need to know how much.

According to researchers, research can also serve to promote wider use of electronic communication as an instrument of containment of emissions, such as allowing companies an accurate assessment of their impression of ecological systems post. The data obtained can also lead companies to the adoption of policies and systems that minimise the ecological footprint of service e-mail.