Cloud Emissions Methodology
Greenpixie’s cloud emissions experts are constantly expanding our leading methodology, while taking an active role in the future of cloud sustainability regulation.
How do we measure cloud emissions?
To be accurate, cloud emissions data must be calculated usage data (not cloud spend); analyse each individual service used, rather than using averages across services; and include the Scope 3 emissions of the cloud providers.
Greenpixie’s calcuations include:
- computation
- storage
- memory
- networking
- embodied emissions
“Greenpixie are the leading authority on cloud emissions.”
Nico Albanese
Investment Principal, Ascension
How does our methodology compare to other solutions?
Our methodology was developed in tandem with open-sourced work from pioneers in the cloud sustainability space, including Etsy’s Cloud Jewels initiative and ThoughtWorks’ Cloud Carbon Footprint.
Over the last 18 months, our research and development into cloud emissions has produced the leading and most complete methodology in this space.
Greenpixie offers a number of key improvements to data which is available through cloud providers themselves. For example, where Greenpixie accurately calculates Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions; some cloud providers will currently only include Scope 1 and 2 emissions, likely missing out 70%+ of your emissions and theirs.
Greenpixie also provides a full emissions profile of every service used and crucially bases caluclations on cloud usage, rather than spend.
The table below shows how our methodology now compares to those first iterations of cloud sustainability softwares and which features we’ve been able to add.
If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.
Finally, measuring cloud emissions offers the opportunity to improve.
Up to 40% of total cloud use is considered Cloud Waste. This means billions of dollars is wasted per year in idle cloud resources, as well as millions of tonnes of CO₂e emissions.
Accurate, granular cloud emissions data offers the opportunity to make informed improvements to your cloud setup - for your profits and the planet.