Sustainability in Action: How Umbraco Is Tackling the Digital Carbon Footprint
By Rich Green|14 Apr 2025
As digital platforms expand, so does their environmental impact. In the face of rising emissions across the tech sector, Umbraco's recent Impact Report shows how a global CMS can lead with responsibility — not just performance. As an Umbraco Platinum Partner, we're proud to use the platform to deliver sustainable web infrastructure for our clients, significantly reducing website carbon footprint.
Building the Greener Web
Umbraco has set out a clear sustainability strategy focused on three high-impact areas:
- Operational Footprint: Cutting emissions from offices, suppliers, and business travel.
- Digital Efficiency: Building tech that uses less energy and supports greener hosting.
- Knowledge Sharing: Helping partners and the wider community do the same.
“Our clients are looking for real, measurable ways to reduce their digital carbon footprint — and Umbraco helps us deliver exactly that. Whether through greener hosting, smarter caching, or sustainable development practices, the tools are there to make every build a step toward a lower-impact web.”
Rich Green, Head of Technical Development
Lower Emissions, Smarter Hosting
In 2024, Umbraco moved to supplier-specific data to track emissions, bringing much-needed precision to measuring hosting impact. The result? Emissions were lower than expected, and working with providers like Netlify, businesses are stepping up with greener web real estate and infrastructure.
How we used Umbraco to reduce Agria's carbon footprint
We transformed the Agria Pet Insurance web estate with a new Umbraco web build, resulting in a 59% reduction in carbon footprint and a 29% increase in sales.
Digital Efficiency Done Right
The release of Umbraco 15, built on .NET 9, introduced HybridCache — a significant performance upgrade that reduces energy use on high-traffic, complex websites.
- By reducing the power needed to serve content, Umbraco is also helping clients cut their emissions.
- For many businesses, migrating to Umbraco 15 will bring sustainability benefits.
Cleaner Delivery: The Green Advantage of Going Headless
Going headless isn’t just about flexibility — it’s also a smart move for sustainability. By decoupling the frontend from the backend, headless architecture allows for lighter, faster websites that consume less energy.
Headless CMS solutions reduce data transfer and server load, especially when paired with static site generation or edge delivery. That means fewer resources are needed to deliver content, and users benefit from better performance with a smaller environmental impact.
With Umbraco’s headless capabilities, we can optimise digital experiences across channels while keeping sustainability front and center.
Sustainable Tips for a Greener Digital World
Talk to us about sustainable web solutions
Small Changes, Big Impact
Sustainability isn't just about big moves and making web infrastructure less energy dependent; Umbraco is also rethinking everyday actions. For example:
- Instead of spending money on corporate gifts, Umbraco has planted over 10,000 trees, thus recognising contributions in a greener way.
- Flights for Umbraco's Codegarden 2024 event were fully offset, with hybrid participation offered for lower-impact engagement.
Umbraco's Upcoming Webinar with Mike Berners-Lee
On 22 May 2025, Umbraco is hosting a free sustainability webinar featuring Mike Berners-Lee, author of A Climate of Truth and leading carbon expert.
Join Mike and a panel of digital experts to explore:
- The true footprint of digital infrastructure
- How to assess and cut emissions in your tech stack
- Real-world examples of sustainable content delivery
Date/Time: 22 May 2025 – 4PM CET
Register for the webinar
From greener hosting and caching to community-driven action, our digital build partner Umbraco proves that digital experiences don't have to cost the earth. The upcoming webinar will provide a timely reminder that responsibility and innovation can — and should — go hand in hand.
We can audit your web infrastructure and provide practical advice on reducing your web real estate carbon footprint. Contact us or call us on 01903 285900.