Are green Internet companies really offering sustainable services?

The global consumption of all data centres is well over 300 terawatt hours per year and rising steadily. The biggest power guzzlers online are streaming services. — dpa

If you type a search request into Ecosia, you’re helping plant trees in Ethiopia. At least, that’s what the advertisements claim. The green alternative to Google isn’t the only online service playing up their sustainability. E-mail services Posteo and Mailbox claim to run using only renewable energy.

Is it a slick marketing strategy or a real environmental commitment? These kinds of companies’ efforts prove that eco-friendly concepts are economically competitive, says Marina Koehn of Germany’s Environmental Agency.