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How to store your data sustainably

Discover the real carbon impact of data storage and solutions to reduce your digital footprint. Complete guide for responsible storage.

98,7%
CO₂ reduction
1,2
Average PUE
100%
Renewable energy
77%
Usage rate

Environmental impact

The real carbon impact of data storage

Comparison of different storage types according to their lifespan and infrastructure

Temporary storage (2-15 days)

2-4g CO₂e/GB

FileVert, short transfers

PUE :1.1-1.3
Scaleway DC, renewable energies

Permanent cloud (1 year)

16-24g CO₂e/GB

Google Drive, Dropbox

PUE :1.1-1.4
Variable energy mix

Enterprise redundant

40-60g CO₂e/GB

Multiple datacenters

PUE :1.4-1.8
Geographic redundancy

The problem of permanent storage

90%
of data created each year
68%
of stored data is never accessed
24/7
continuous energy consumption

Principles

Principles of sustainable storage

Three fundamental rules to reduce the carbon impact of your data

Optimized lifespan

Adapt storage duration to actual usage

Concrete example:
FileVert: 2-15 days max vs permanent
80% emission reduction

Smart deletion

Automation of deletion after usage

Concrete example:
Auto-remove after download
5.3h average vs 11.7 days

Ecological infrastructure

100% renewable energies, optimized PUE

Concrete example:
French datacenter vs coal mix
-87% CO₂ emissions

Cas d'usage

Bonnes pratiques par cas d'usage

Adaptez votre stratégie selon votre contexte d'utilisation

Professional use

Temporary file sharing

Pratique polluante :
Permanent storage of all exchanges
Approche durable :
Temporary FileVert links, auto deletion

Legal archives

Pratique polluante :
Unlimited conservation as precaution
Approche durable :
Strict regulatory durations only

Personal use

Family photos/videos

Pratique polluante :
Unlimited automatic cloud upload
Approche durable :
Sort before storage, delete duplicates

Creative projects

Pratique polluante :
Multiple versions kept
Approche durable :
Final archive only, local for active
CASE STUDY

FileVert case study: 98.7% reduction

Concrete analysis of FileVert's environmental impact compared to classic solutions

FileVert approach

Limited duration

Temporary storage 2-15 days maximum, automatic deletion

High usage rate

77% of files downloaded within the first 5.3 hours

Ecological infrastructure

100% renewable energy, PUE 1.2, French datacenter

Measured impact

98,7%
Carbon footprint reduction
FileVert (2-15 days)0.16 t CO₂e/year
Classic permanent storage13.31 t CO₂e/year
Annual equivalent
658
trees planted
59k km
by car
5,7
households

Vérification

How to verify sustainable storage?

Six essential criteria to evaluate a host's environmental impact

1

Green Web Foundation

Check presence in the Green Web Foundation directory

Verified directory: thegreenwebfoundation.org
2

Measured PUE

Power Usage Effectiveness ≤ 1.3 for an efficient datacenter

Source: Uptime Institute, annual reports
3

ISO certifications

ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 50001 (energy)

Public verifiable certificates
4

Carbon balance

Published GHG balance scopes 1-2-3 with SBTi trajectory

Science Based Targets initiative
5

Local mix

Local energy mix (France/EU) with guarantees of origin

RTE, verifiable guarantees of origin
6

Renewable PPAs

Power Purchase Agreements with renewable energy producers

Verifiable long-term contracts

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Answers to common questions about sustainable data storage

Temporary storage (2-15 days) emits 2-4g CO₂e/GB, permanent cloud (1 year) 16-24g CO₂e/GB, and redundant enterprise 40-60g CO₂e/GB. FileVert optimizes with ecological temporary storage.
Prioritize datacenters with renewable energies (PPA, guarantees of origin), low PUE (<1.3), European location, and environmental certifications (ISO 14001, Green IT).
PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) measures the energy efficiency of a datacenter. A PUE of 1.2 means 20% of energy serves cooling and infrastructure, 80% to servers.
Yes, FileVert uses Scaleway datacenters powered by renewable energies, temporary storage (reduces footprint), and optimized PUE (1.2-1.3) to minimize carbon impact.
Delete duplicates, archive old files, use compression, prefer temporary storage, and choose ecological hosts with renewable energies.
It depends: cloud optimizes resources (server sharing), but local storage avoids network transfers. FileVert combines advantages with optimized temporary storage.

Transparence

Sources & verifications

Organizations and references to verify environmental impact

Green Web Foundation

Directory of verified ecological hosts

Consult directory

Uptime Institute

PUE and energy efficiency reports

Consult reports

ISO

Environmental and energy standards

Consult standards

ADEME

Base carbone, guides éco-conception

Consulter

Methodology & limitations

Last updated: January 2025

Main sources: Green Web Foundation, Uptime Institute, ISO, ADEME

Comparisons: Based on average scenarios, variations possible depending on configurations

PUE: Average measured values, may vary depending on datacenters

Reduce your carbon footprint by 98.7%

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Measured and transparent impact98.7% CO₂ reductionOptimized infrastructure