Every time someone loads your site, data travels, servers work, and energy is used. Reduce the data, and you reduce the carbon footprint — while making your site faster.
The carbon-speed connection
- Fewer bytes = faster load.
- Efficient code = less CPU strain.
- Better hosting = greener energy.
A 3MB homepage is bad for both the planet and your bounce rate.
Measuring your site’s footprint
Use Website Carbon Calculator. It estimates:
- Grams of CO₂ per page view.
- Annual emissions based on traffic.
- Whether your hosting runs on renewable energy.
PorterWP and sustainable design
Because PorterWP ships without bloat:
- CSS is modular and minimal.
- JavaScript is used sparingly and only where needed.
- Image handling is optimised for screen size and device.
This means lighter pages, faster loads, and fewer server resources consumed.
Practical ways to cut carbon in WordPress
- Optimise images with plugins like Imagify or ShortPixel (enable WebP/AVIF).
- Audit scripts and styles — remove unused files with Asset CleanUp.
- Limit font weights — load only what you use.
- Lazy-load media — native in WordPress but worth verifying.
- Choose green hosting — providers that use renewable energy.
Code example: Disabling unused WordPress image sizes:
add_filter( 'intermediate_image_sizes', function( $sizes ) {
return array_diff( $sizes, ['large', 'medium_large', '1536x1536', '2048x2048'] );
});
Takeaway checklist:
- Test your site’s carbon impact.
- Optimise and resize all images.
- Strip unused CSS/JS.
- Use a minimal, efficient theme.
