2.16 Optimize media for sustainability

Materials: High
Energy: High
Water: High
Emissions: High

Ensure media, if required, are optimized, correctly formatted, and sized, with deferred loading as appropriate, and are managed effectively.

Need for media: Machine-testable
Do not include any video or audio unless it provides positive value. Disable auto-play functionality on audio and video.
Optimized media: Machine-testable
Optimize and compress media appropriately. Provide media in compatible and appropriate formats. Avoid non-native embedded media players.
Deferred loading: Machine-testable
Load data-intensive media on the client side, including the media itself, behind a facade – a non-functional and static representational element.
Labels and choice: Machine-testable
Let the user control media, including a choice of resolutions and formats and the option to deactivate media. Inform users the length, format, and data intensity of the media.
Management and usage: Machine-testable
Establish media management and use policy to evaluate and reduce the overall impact of media, such as audio, video, or emerging media formats. Include criteria for media compression and file formats.

Economic
Eliminating data-intensive media entirely and using alternatives such as transcripts reduce costs associated with hosting and data transfer.
Environment
Reducing the battery drain associated with loading data-intensive content by preventing auto-loading or delaying it until the moment it is required reduces energy emissions associated with data transfer and renering.
Performance
Tailoring user experience to the device, situation, and environment of the user by having different resolutions and quality formats available reduces wasted bandwidth. This can boost performance for users who make choices to reduce the data downloaded.
Social Equity
Providing alternatives to data-intensive media allows with limited bandwidth or older devices to access content.