stir.ac.uk runs on 100% renewable energy
Our website is ranked 2nd for accessibility by Sitemorse
View moreUsing Ecosia on student laptops has planted 8,829 trees
Digital sustainability
Digital technology is a powerful force shaping our everyday lives. It can help reduce carbon emissions, bring people together and enhance sustainable practice.
However, there is also a carbon cost to the use of digital technology. As we meet the digital needs of our users, we are also working to reduce the environmental impact of our digital footprint.
Why digital sustainability?
Implementing sustainable practices on our website is good for the planet but it’s also good for our users.
- Sustainable websites are faster, more accessible, and easier to use.
- Digital users are more likely to abandon a site or service if it takes too long to start their task
- Some of our users may have slow connections and older devices. They may live in rural areas of the UK or in parts of the world where data is prohibitively expensive or limited. Bloated websites are harder for users with limited connections or data.
- Users appreciate shorter user journeys and save energy by reducing the time spent online and the number of pages loaded for users to accomplish their goals.
- Search engines will rank slow-loading pages lower than better-performing pages.
stir.ac.uk digital sustainability
Images
Images are one of the biggest sources of data storage and transfer, and therefore carbon emissions. We optimise images to the smallest size possible before we upload them to the website. We also remove assets and images from our media library that are no longer in use.
We use lazy loading which delays the loading of images and other resources until they are needed by the user. This can reduce the amount of data that needs to be transferred when a page is first loaded.
Minifying code
Minification refers to the process of removing unnecessary or redundant data without affecting how the resource is processed by the browser. Minifying code: this process removes whitespace and comments, which significantly reduces the size of the code file to speed up page load.
Sustainable hosting
We use Amazon Web Services (AWS) for the main website, our Content Management System and our search platforms.
Third-party code
Controlling third-party code: many third-party additions to the website (tracking pixels, chat, embedded forms etc) are only required in certain areas of the site, or under certain conditions. These are all managed using Google Tag Manager, and we write complex rules to ensure they are only loaded on pages where needed.
Caching
Caching involves storing frequently accessed or reused page components like logos and scripts, in the user’s browser or on the server. This makes pages load much faster when users move around the website or make repeat visits, and significantly reduces the amount of data that needs to be transferred.
Website performance
We regularly check the website performance using Google’s Page Speed tool and use the guidance provided by Core Web Vitals to inform optimal code design.
stir.ac.uk accessibility
Accessibility is about giving everyone equitable access to our website. We are consistently in the Top 5 on Sitemorse’s university rankings for accessibility.
Student laptop policy and Ecosia
We have several initiatives on digital sustainability away from the website, including saving carbon emissions through lending laptops and using the Ecosia search engine to plant trees.
The university runs a scheme where students can borrow a laptop rather than purchase. This results in lower CO2 emissions, than if the student bought a new device for university. This scheme also helps students save money.
If 200 students per annum chose not to purchase a device but use University facilities instead, we calculate it reduces carbon emissions by 113,000 KG.
Planting trees by internet searches
Ecosia uses 100% of its profits for the planet and produces enough renewable energy to power all searches twice over. By installing Ecosia on student laptops, our students’ internet searches are helping to combat climate change. Their searches alone have planted 8,829 trees in the last year.