Sources of the digital carbon footprint. The digital carbon footprint is the sum of the emissions created during the life cycle of a device or software, including its creation, use and maintenance. The first stage is the production of hardware devices such as laptops, phones and microprocessors, when the machines producing the devices produce a significant amount of carbon dioxide. The equipment used to create, operate and maintain software also requires electricity. The source of electricity for charging contributes to the carbon footprint; if the electricity is of non-renewable origin, the emissions generated each time the phone is charged increase its digital carbon footprint.  Research conducted in 2021 showed that global smartphone charging will release more than 8 million tons of carbon dioxide in one year. (ARIAN KAUSHAL)