Assessing the Carbon Footprint of Virtual Meetings: A Quantitative Analysis of Camera Usage

TL;DR

The paper addresses the carbon footprint of virtual meetings by comparing camera-on versus camera-off data usage on a 4G mobile network. It employs an empirical approach using 9 Teams meetings conducted on smartphones and laptops, recording data usage and translating it to CO2e with ADEME and mobile energy factors. The findings indicate that camera-on roughly doubles data consumption and associated CO2e relative to camera-off on mobile networks, with emissions per hour in the tens of grams range; turning off the camera yields meaningful reductions, though the analysis remains preliminary and sensitive to screen sharing and camera dynamics. The work suggests practical guidance to reduce environmental impact, including preferring fixed networks and applying selective camera usage, while outlining future work to incorporate screen-sharing effects and larger datasets for stronger statistical conclusions.

Abstract

This paper analyzes the carbon emissions related to data consumption during video calls, focusing on the impact of having the camera on versus off. Addresses the energy efficiency and carbon footprint of digital communication tools. The study is used to quantify the real reduction in environmental impact claimed in several articles when people choose to turn off their camera during meetings. The experiment was carried out using a 4G connection via a cell phone to understand the varying data transfer associated with videos. The findings indicate that turning the camera off can halve data consumption therefore carbon emissions, particularly on mobile networks, and conclude with recommendations to optimize data usage and reduce environmental impact during calls.