SMS: A Responsible Communication Channel

In a world where communication has become essential, it is important to prioritize responsible communication channels that are both effective and sustainable. Although new technologies have given rise to numerous communication platforms, SMS remains a channel of choice for fast, reliable, and environmentally friendly exchanges. In this article, we will explore the reasons why SMS is a responsible communication channel.

1- What is digital pollution?

Digital pollution has become a major issue in our digital age. According to a study conducted by the Agency for Ecological Transition, information and communication technologies are responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, on par with civil aviation.

Furthermore, the storage and transfer of data on servers consume enormous amounts of energy. According to an analysis by Greenpeace, the information technology sector accounts for approximately 7% of global electricity consumption.

Therefore, it is crucial to become aware of the impact of our digital activities and adopt responsible practices to reduce digital pollution.

2- Comparison of CO2 emissions by communication medium

According to analyses by researcher Mike Berners-Lee, a researcher at Lancaster University and author of the book “How Bad Are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything”. Here is a comparison of CO2 emissions by communication medium:

1- Emails

According to the analysis, email is the most polluting channel.
Carbon emissions from an email vary depending on its content: from 0.3g of CO2 for spam to 4g for a standard email and up to 50g of CO2 for an email containing a photo or attachment.

According to the ADEME report, the impact of sending an email depends on the size of attachments, the storage time on a server, and the number of recipients. Every day, 288 billion emails are sent worldwide and 80% of them are never opened.

2- Instant messaging applications

It is estimated that a tweet has a footprint of 0.2g of CO2, while sending a message via an instant messaging application is estimated to be only slightly less polluting than sending an email.
There is no precise data available. However, these data flows use the Internet network, just like emails. As a result, it is estimated that their carbon footprint must be close to that of emails.

3- SMS

Sending an SMS is by far the most responsible alternative, as each SMS generates only 0.014g of CO2. Other analyses even estimate that an SMS emits 0.00215g of CO2.
Indeed, SMS messages use less energy and emit less CO2 than emails because they are transmitted via telephone technology rather than the web. The data is not processed and does not consume energy in the same way.

4- Phone calls

The carbon footprint of a one-minute phone call on a mobile phone is slightly higher than that of sending an SMS. However, a 2012 study by the University of New South Wales estimated that a 5-hour video conference meeting produced between 4kg and 215kg of CO2.

3- Reasons to use SMS responsibly

In addition to the fact that sending marketing SMS messages offers a 95% read rate, choosing this channel to communicate — whether internally with colleagues or through SMS marketing campaigns to prospects and customers — means committing to more responsible communication.

If you want to initiate more responsible communication, here are:

6 great reasons to choose SMS!

1) An SMS channel strongly recommended by ADEME
The ecological transition agency advocates SMS as an alternative to the “paper-only” approach.

2) A virtuous and easy-to-implement action
Start with concrete actions that are quick to launch. SMS campaigns are just as simple as sending an email. That’s a great reason to take the plunge.

3) Considerable results
By opting to send SMS messages, your commitment is truly tangible. Choosing to switch from an email campaign to an SMS campaign allows you to reduce carbon emissions by nearly 5 tonnes for every 100,000 messages sent.

4) No compromise on efficiency and performance
SMS boasts a 95% open rate within 3 minutes of receipt. In order to maintain strong performance in your campaign sends, define your target audience in advance. This helps you avoid losing performance through mass sending. When sending marketing SMS messages, remember to verify your contact database beforehand using the HLR lookup.

5) An improved brand image
Your customers are increasingly sensitive to the ethical and economic values of your company. By adopting an ecological communication approach, you demonstrate your commitment to society and the environment, which builds customer trust and encourages loyalty.

6) An ecological and cost-effective medium
SMS is an ecological and cost-effective medium as long as you keep your messages within 160 characters. Indeed, when your SMS contains more than 160 characters, it will count as two messages and will therefore be twice as expensive and twice as polluting. Even though SMS remains one of the most eco-friendly ways to communicate, certain criteria must still be taken into account to prevent its CO2 footprint from tripling.

SMS remains the safest way to reduce your company’s digital carbon footprint and demonstrate your ecological commitment. Shall we discuss it?