methodology

Every figure has a source

How we calculate the eco impact of digitalisation: coefficients, formulas and primary sources. No magic — just arithmetic you can verify.

We deliberately estimate conservatively: where research gives a range, we take the lower bound. It is better to promise less and deliver more — that is what makes our figures trustworthy in reporting.

The methodology is open: every coefficient and formula is on this page, every source is linked. Once a year we review the coefficients against fresh publications and log the changes.

core coefficients

Six numbers everything rests on

10,000sheets a yearprinted by an average office worker. A conservative estimate based on industry studies of office printing.

8,500sheets = 1 treethe A4 office paper yield of one mature tree, based on Conservatree data.

10 Lof water per A4 sheetthe full production water footprint. Water Footprint Network gives 2–13 L — we use a mid-conservative 10 L.

5 gof CO₂-eq per sheetthe production and logistics footprint of office paper, based on European paper industry data (CEPI).

0.5 kgof CO₂-eq per deliverya courier document delivery within a city (last mile). Urban logistics estimates, lower bound.

−90%of printing after adoptionthe average reduction of internal printing after switching to e-workflow (InBase implementation experience).

formulas

How the calculation works

Sheets = employees × 10,000 × 0.9

Trees = sheets ÷ 8,500

Water, L = sheets × 10

CO₂-eq, kg = sheets × 0.005 + deliveries × 0.5

For a personal audit we replace the average 10,000 sheets with your real data: printer logs, paper procurement records, courier registers and paper archive floor space.

honest accounting

What we count — and what we do not

The digital footprint exists too. Storing an electronic document and processing it in a data centre also consumes energy. By industry estimates, the annual storage footprint of a single document is a fraction of a gram of CO₂ — three to four orders of magnitude less than printing its paper copy. We state this in every audit.

We do not count what we cannot verify. Biodiversity impact, "reputational" eco effects and other indicators without a measurable basis do not make it into our reports. If a number is not in a formula on this page, it will not be in your report either.

primary sources

Sources of the coefficients

Water Footprint Network — the water footprint of paper production.
Conservatree — paper yield per tree.
CEPI — Confederation of European Paper Industries — the carbon footprint of the European paper industry.
US EPA — waste and CO₂-equivalent conversion methodologies.
InBase — print reduction statistics from e-workflow implementations.

Test our arithmetic on your data

Order a free eco audit — we will calculate the digitalisation effect for your organisation using this methodology and your real numbers.