Green Hosting Guide
Not all green hosting claims are equal.
An independent breakdown of green hosting in Australia — what renewable energy claims actually mean, how to evaluate provider evidence, and what we recommend for purpose-driven organisations.
See our sustainable web design serviceWhy hosting matters
Your website has a carbon footprint
Every page load transfers data through data centres, networks, and devices — all consuming electricity. The average web page generates approximately 0.5g of CO₂ per view. Multiply that by your monthly visitors and you have a measurable environmental impact.
Hosting choice is one of the most significant decisions you can make for your website's environmental impact. But "green" marketing is common in the hosting industry, and not all claims are backed by evidence.
This guide helps you evaluate hosting providers honestly — so you can make a decision that actually reduces your environmental footprint, not just your guilt.
Evaluation framework
What to look for (and avoid)
Direct renewable energy use
The gold standard — data centres powered directly by solar, wind, or other renewable sources. Ask for evidence, not just claims.
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)
Better than nothing, but not the same as running on renewables. RECs offset usage rather than changing the power source.
Vague "green" claims
Claims like "we care about the environment" or "eco-conscious" without specific evidence should be treated with scepticism.
Carbon offsetting only
Carbon offsets can complement a green strategy, but shouldn't be the primary claim. Ask what's actually powering the servers.
Provider comparison
What we've found
This is an independent assessment based on publicly available information. We don't receive referral fees from any hosting provider.
Pantheon / Kinsta (Cloud)
RecommendedManaged WordPress/Cloud
Green claim: Google Cloud — carbon neutral since 2007, net zero goal by 2030
Google Cloud infrastructure with substantial renewable energy commitments and third-party verification.
Vercel / Netlify
RecommendedJAMstack / Edge hosting
Green claim: AWS data centres with renewable energy programmes
AWS has significant renewable energy commitments, but percentage varies by region. Edge deployments can reduce total data transfer.
Digital Pacific
Australian cPanel hosting
Green claim: Carbon neutral certification
Australian-operated with carbon offset programme. Good for organisations requiring Australian data residency.
SiteGround
Shared / Cloud hosting
Green claim: Renewable energy matching
Uses renewable energy certificates (RECs) for matching. Better than no commitment, but not the same as direct renewable power.
Want a greener website overall?
Hosting is one piece of the puzzle. Performance, image optimisation, and architecture choices make an equally significant difference. Our sustainable web design service covers all of it.