It's Not Just What You Say, It's How You Say It: Mitigating the Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions with Effective Content

Abstract

Purpose: The goal of this article is to provide a tutorial for measuring the sustainability impacts of our content. Sustainability considerations should be just as important as the accessibility and usability of content. Fortunately, following our known best practices for effective content creation and governance also results in a smaller carbon footprint. This not only benefits the planet but also positions content creators as valuable business assets. Method: An extensive literature review led to the development of processes and guidelines that connect our existing best practices for content with a new paradigm for sustainable content. Results: This tutorial will examine five content scenarios and the relative impacts of each: modifications to individual web pages, content governance (removal of redundant, outdated, and trivial content), email blasts, videos, and podcasts. Metrics will be provided for justifying content decisions to management, and recommendations will be given for both optimizing usability and sustainability. Conclusion: Merging established best practices for content creation and curation with measurable energy-to-emissions data gives us powerful tools for justifying content choices and demonstrating measurable value to both the organization and the planet.