WordPress website sustainability

February 20, 2025 | Connor by

Connor

WordPress powers over 40% of the web, but how sustainable is this open-source website platform?

Sustainability in the digital world isn’t just about planting trees – it’s about creating websites that are efficient, accessible, and future-proof.

Recently, WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg disbanded its official Sustainability Team, a move that left many questioning the platform’s long-term commitment to sustainable practices. So does this mean WordPress will become less sustainable? Not necessarily – but it does shift responsibility to the web community, developers, and businesses to take the lead.

In this article, we explore what sustainability means for WordPress, the impact of this decision, and most importantly, how you can make your website more sustainable – boosting performance, cutting costs, and staying ahead of the curve.

Understanding WordPress sustainability

Sustainability in WordPress (and on the web in general) isn’t just a buzzword – it’s about ensuring the platform remains efficient, inclusive, and economically viable for years to come. But what does that really mean?

  • Environmental sustainability: Websites require energy. Every page load, image, and plugin adds to a site’s carbon footprint. Optimising performance reduces energy consumption, benefiting both the planet and user experience.
  • Social sustainability: A thriving WordPress ecosystem needs to be accessible, diverse, and ethically developed, ensuring equal opportunities for all.
  • Economic sustainability: Developers, agencies, and businesses rely on WordPress. Sustainable practices help keep costs down, improve longevity, and future-proof digital assets.

Without proactive sustainability efforts, WordPress risks becoming slower, less inclusive, and more expensive to maintain.

The WordPress Sustainability Team: formation and goals

Recognising the growing need for sustainability in web development, the WordPress Sustainability Team was formed in 2023, with a mission to make the platform more environmentally and socially responsible.

The team spearheaded several initiatives, including:

  • Tools to measure website carbon footprints and promote greener web practices.
  • Strategies for improving WordPress infrastructure to reduce energy consumption.

These efforts weren’t just about ethics – they were about creating a more efficient, cost-effective web. But in early 2025, this team was abruptly disbanded, raising serious concerns about WordPress’s sustainability future.

The disbandment of the Sustainability Team

WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg’s decision to disband the Sustainability Team sent a shockwave through the WordPress community and backlash was immediate.

Critics accused him of dismissing vital sustainability efforts and acting hypocritically when it was his suggestion to found the team. Regardless of the intent, WordPress has lost its official sustainability leadership and with no centralised team driving eco-friendly initiatives, the burden now falls on individual developers, agencies, and businesses to keep the movement alive.

The negative consequences – even for those who don’t care about sustainability

Even if sustainability isn’t your top priority, this decision still has potential consequences as sustainability and website performance go hand in hand.

  • Slower websites: Without a dedicated team pushing for efficiency, WordPress risks becoming bloated – leading to longer load times, frustrated users, and lower SEO rankings.
  • Higher costs: Inefficient websites consume more server resources, which means higher hosting fees and energy bills.
  • Regulatory risks: As governments push for greener digital policies, WordPress could fall behind on compliance standards.
  • Missed business opportunities: Many brands prioritise eco-conscious partnerships – ignoring sustainability could make WordPress a less attractive choice.

Our thoughts on the changes and WordPress sustainability

The decision to disband the WordPress Sustainability Team does raise concerns about the platform’s long-term efficiency and accessibility. We understand that sustainability in tech is a complex challenge, but worry that without dedicated leadership, long-term progress in this area will slow – at a time when sustainability is arguably more important than ever.

Despite this, at Mosaic, we continue to believe in the power of WordPress as an open-source platform and the incredible opportunities it provides for businesses, developers, and content creators worldwide. While we disagree with the decision, we know that sustainability in WordPress doesn’t start or end with one team. The open-source community has always been its greatest strength, and we fully support independent contributors, developers, and organisations working to make WordPress greener and more efficient.

As a certified B Corp, we’re committed to sustainability at every level – from designing lean, high-performing and fully bespoke WordPress websites to ensuring accessibility and ethical web practices are at the core of our work. We see sustainability as more than an environmental or ethical concern – it’s about better, faster, and more responsible web experiences that are accessible to everyone.

WordPress remains an incredible tool, created by incredible people, and we’ll continue to champion its open-source values while making it as efficient, accessible, and sustainable as possible for our clients and internal projects. The responsibility may now fall on businesses like ours, but we’re more than ready to step up.

Explore how to make your website more more sustainable by reducing your website’s carbon footprint.

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