Internet DRAFT - draft-martin-http-carbon-emissions-scope-2
draft-martin-http-carbon-emissions-scope-2
HTTP Working Group B. Martin, Ed.
Internet-Draft Sentry Software
Intended status: Informational 3 April 2023
Expires: 5 October 2023
HTTP Response Header Field: Carbon-Emissions-Scope-2
draft-martin-http-carbon-emissions-scope-2-00
Abstract
This document defines the "Carbon-Emissions-Scope-2" HTTP response
header field for reporting the amount of carbon emissions associated
with processing a given HTTP request, as calculated according to the
Scope 2 protocol outlined in ISO 14064-1:2006.
Status of This Memo
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1. Requirements Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Header Field Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5.1. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5.2. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1. Introduction
The growing awareness of the environmental impact of internet usage
has led to increased interest in measuring and reducing the carbon
footprint of web-based services. One way to achieve this goal is to
report the carbon emissions associated with the processing of HTTP
requests, so that service providers and consumers can make more
informed decisions about their use of the web.
This document defines the "Carbon-Emissions-Scope-2" HTTP response
header field [RFC9110][RFC9112], which allows servers to report the
amount of carbon emissions associated with the processing of a given
HTTP request, and the building of the corresponding HTTP response, as
calculated according to the Scope 2 protocol outlined in
[ISO14064-1]. The Scope 2 protocol provides a standardized method
for quantifying and reporting the greenhouse gas emissions associated
with the consumption of purchased or acquired electricity, steam, and
heating or cooling. By reporting the carbon emissions associated
with the processing of a request, web service providers can give
consumers greater visibility into the environmental impact of their
service.
1.1. Requirements Language
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
"OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP
14 [RFC2119][RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
capitals, as shown here.
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2. Header Field Definition
The "Carbon-Emissions-Scope-2" header field is a response header
field that indicates the amount of carbon emissions associated with
the processing of a given HTTP request, as calculated according to
the Scope 2 protocol outlined in [ISO14064-1]. The value of this
header field MUST be a non-negative decimal number expressed in grams
of CO2-eq (carbon dioxide equivalent).
A server MAY include the "Carbon-Emissions-Scope-2" header field in
any response to an HTTP request. If a server includes the header
field in a response, it indicates that the reported emissions are
associated with the processing of the request, including any server-
side processing and any use of energy by third-party services
involved in serving the request.
The header field MAY be included in any response status code.
However, it is particularly useful in responses that include a
representation of a resource, such as a web page or image, where the
processing and delivery of the representation is likely to result in
significant carbon emissions.
The syntax of the "Carbon-Emissions-Scope-2" header field is as
follows:
Carbon-Emissions-Scope-2 = grams-co2
grams-co2 = 1*DIGIT [ "." 1*3DIGIT ]
Figure 1: Syntax for the "Carbon-Emissions-Scope-2" header field.
The "grams-co2" value is the number of grams of CO2 emitted
associated with the processing of the corresponding HTTP request, as
calculated according to the Scope 2 protocol outlined in
[ISO14064-1].
3. IANA Considerations
This document requests the registration of the "Carbon-Emissions-
Scope-2" HTTP response header field in the "Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (HTTP) Response Header Fields" registry maintained by the
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
The registration template for the "Carbon-Emissions-Scope-2" header
field is as follows:
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Header field name: Carbon-Emissions-Scope-2
Applicable protocol: http
Status: standard
Author/Change controller: IETF
Specification document(s): This document
Related information: None
Figure 2: Registration template for the "Carbon-Emissions-Scope-
2" HTTP response header field.
4. Security Considerations
The use of the "Carbon-Emissions-Scope-2" header field does not
introduce any new security risks beyond those associated with the
transmission of any HTTP response header field. However, it is
important to note that the accuracy of the reported carbon emissions
depends on the accuracy of the data used in the Scope 2 calculation,
as well as the accuracy of any assumptions made in the calculation.
As such, an attacker could potentially attempt to manipulate the
reported emissions by tampering with the data or assumptions used in
the calculation, or by interfering with the energy sources used by
the server or third-party services involved in serving the request.
To mitigate these risks, it is important for servers to use accurate
data and assumptions in their Scope 2 calculations and to protect the
integrity and availability of their energy sources. Additionally, it
may be useful to provide transparency and verification mechanisms to
ensure the accuracy of reported emissions.
5. References
5.1. Normative References
[RFC8174] Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.
5.2. Informative References
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[ISO14064-1]
ISO, "Greenhouse gases -- Part 1: Specification with
guidance at the organization level for quantification and
reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals", 2018,
<https://www.iso.org/standard/66453.html>.
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.
[RFC9110] Fielding, R., Ed., Nottingham, M., Ed., and J. Reschke,
Ed., "HTTP Semantics", STD 97, RFC 9110,
DOI 10.17487/RFC9110, June 2022,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9110>.
[RFC9112] Fielding, R., Ed., Nottingham, M., Ed., and J. Reschke,
Ed., "HTTP/1.1", STD 99, RFC 9112, DOI 10.17487/RFC9112,
June 2022, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9112>.
Author's Address
Bertrand Martin (editor)
Sentry Software
France
Email: bertrand@sentrysoftware.com, bertrandmartin@hotmail.com
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