Accenture, GitHub, Microsoft and ThoughtWorks Launch Green Software Foundation
Accenture, GitHub, Microsoft and ThoughtWorks founded and launched the Green Software Foundation, a non-profit organization formed in partnership with the Linux Foundation and the Joint Development Foundation Projects LLC, which aims to build a trusted ecosystem of people, standards, tools and best practices for developing green software.
The Green Software Foundation was created out of a mutual desire and need for collaboration in the software industry. Organizations that share the same commitment to sustainability and interest in developing green software are encouraged to join the foundation. Together, they will help expand the field of green software engineering, create industry-wide standards, and work together to reduce software carbon emissions. The foundation aims to help the software industry meet the broader goals of the information and communication technology sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Data centers are responsible for consuming 1% of global electricity and it is estimated that in the next decade this figure will rise to 3% to 8%, something that makes the development of green software an even more important priority.
The Green Software Foundation will focus on three main areas:
- Establish standards for the green software industry: Create and publish green software standards, green standards and practices in various areas of computing and technology domains. The group will encourage voluntary adoption and help guide government policy toward these standards, with the goal of a consistent approach to measuring and reporting green software emissions.
- Accelerate innovation: Encourage the creation of reliable open-source and open-data projects that support the creation of green software applications. The foundation will work with academic partners and non-profit organizations to together support research in this area.
- Raise awareness and advocate for activism: Encourage widespread adoption of green software across the industry through ambassador programs, training and education that lead to certification, and promote events that facilitate the growth of green software.
Along with founding members Accenture, GitHub, Microsoft and ThoughtWorks, Goldman Sachs and non-profit organizations including Leaders for Climate Action, Watt Time and The Green Web Foundation have also joined the Green Software Foundation.
