This paper quantifies the carbon emissions related to data consumption during video calls, focusing on the impact of having the camera on versus off. The findings regarding the environmental benefits achieved by turning off cameras during meetings challenge the claims of some prevalent articles. The experiment was carried out using a 4G connection via a cell phone to measure the varying data transfer associated with videos. The outcomes indicate that turning the camera off can halve data consumption and associated carbon emissions, particularly on mobile networks. The paper concludes with recommendations to optimize data usage and reduce the environmental impact during calls.
@article{arxiv.2601.06045,
title = {Assessing the Carbon Footprint of Virtual Meetings: A Quantitative Analysis of Camera Usage},
author = {Félix Mortas},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.06045},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
4 pages, 3 figures [v1] - Submited and accepted as a short paper by IARIA GREEN 2025 with some fixable issues that must be addressed before the article is ready for publication (Scientific and technical; English & punctuation; Sections and presentation flow). [v2] - Corrected with the help of checkmymanuscript.com, and rearrangement of sections and presentation flow