By Leah Wanjiru
At first glance, digital technology feels invisible, clean, weightless, and limitless. Vandana Satgoor, Founder of ESG Studio Shared in South Africa, reminded us during a recent panel conversation, our digital habits carry a carbon footprint.
Every email, every stream, every cloud file leaves a mark. This reality, often hidden beneath the smooth surface of our screens, is what Satgoor called it ‘digital emissions’ a growing but rarely discussed contributor to climate change.
Her message was clear: our digital lives are not without consequence and if we are serious about climate action, we must rethink how we engage with technology—not just as users, but as custodians.
The Hidden Cost of Connectivity
In a world increasingly defined by digital access, it’s easy to forget the environmental toll. Data centers consume vast amounts of energy. Constant cloud activity, streaming, and high definition everything are adding to our collective carbon load.
Ms Vandana Satgoor’s founder of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG Studio) challenged us to look at this issue not with guilt, but with consciousness. “It’s not about halting progress; it’s about redesigning it and integrating sustainability into our tech-driven lives and innovations.”
Where Climate Meets Mental Health
What stood out most in the discussion was the interplay between digital behavior, environmental stress, and mental well-being.
Climate anxiety is real. The more we become aware of the planet’s fragility, the more overwhelmed people feel, adding that to digital fatigue, constant pings, news cycles, and screen time, we find ourselves in a new kind of burnout: one that’s both ecological and emotional.
Vandana Satgoor’s insight was powerful: “We’re not separate from our systems. The way we build, consume, and connect reflects on our mental state.”
So, if our digital choices contribute to emissions, and our awareness of that fuels stress, how do we break the loop?
Toward Regenerative Digital Design
What if we designed digital platforms that weren’t just efficient, but regenerative? What if part of our digital transformation strategy included carbon-light interfaces, circular tech solutions, and well-being as a core metric?
Satgoor’s ESG Studio explores an approach where ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) principles aren’t an afterthought, but a design framework. Where digital tools are not just neutral vessels, but active agents of sustainability and care.
This panel provided a deeper sense of responsibility, not just as someone who works in digital and development spaces, but as a human being navigating a warming world through a glowing screen.
Vandana Satgoor’s message was a timely reminder that every connection we make online or offline should be rooted in awareness. Our choices matter, our emissions matter, our mental health matters.
Because sustainability isn’t just about saving the planet. It’s about saving ourselves—from burnout, disconnection, and a future we feel powerless to shape.
Leah Waniru is a social impact strategist and advocate for ethical innovation, working at the intersection of digital transformation, mental health, and environmental justice.
