Digital maps burn huge carbon

Abstract

Energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reduction are emerging tasks for global sustainable development. However, little attention has been given to the energy consumption of digital maps. As an integral component of modern human activities, digital maps are extensively deployed, and their usage is rapidly increasing. It is crucial to comprehend the energy consumption of these maps and explore ways to mitigate their energy usage. Our findings indicate that digital maps consume considerable amounts of energy, resulting in substantial carbon emissions at an alarmingly high rate, equivalent to 31-34% of the energy consumption of Bitcoin mining. Our results show that the power consumption of map displays is higher than that of most image-like media, including movies, electronic games, and paintings. We estimate that the global map industry consumed approximately 38.29-46.60 billion kWh of energy in 2021. In comparison to national residential electricity consumption, the industry ranked 23rd-26th, surpassing most countries in the world. In this study, we present three energy-saving methods to reduce energy consumption by up to an impressive 85%. This reduction far exceeds the expected 15% level set by The Climate Group for energy reduction in the ICT sector to achieve sustainable development. Based on our findings, we conclude that energy-saving digital maps should be considered a key transformative green technology for achieving the sustainable development goals outlined by the United Nations. The work reported in this study is also transferable to other visual media.