Carbon footprint reduction for information and communication technology consumers: a decision analytic approach under uncertainty

Abstract The growing energy consumption of information and communication technology (ICT) has become a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, projected to reach 14-percent of total emissions by 2040. Despite increasing awareness, limited research has systematically prioritized consumer-level strategies for reducing the ICT sector’s carbon footprint, particularly under conditions of uncertainty in expert judgments. To address this gap, this research develops a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework that integrates the Full Consistency Method (FUCOM) for determining criteria weights with the Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) for ranking alternative strategies within a spherical fuzzy (SF) environment. The SF framework enables a more realistic representation of uncertainty by allowing independent degrees of membership, non-membership, and hesitation in expert evaluations. The results reveal that the environmental criterion is the most influential factor in evaluating ICT sustainability strategies. Among the proposed options, green website hosting and device repair or recycling emerge as the most effective strategies for minimizing ICT related emissions. Sensitivity and comparative analyses confirm the robustness and stability of the proposed approach. This research contributes a novel SF-FUCOM-CoCoSo model for decision-making under uncertainty and offers actionable insights for policymakers, ICT managers, and consumers aiming to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint and promote sustainable digital practices.