In this article, we look at how ‘green software’ can be used to enable devices, such as phones, to run longer and can make them more carbon-efficient when in operation.
The Carbon Cost of the Upgrading Cycle
A significant environmental impact of mobile phones comes not from their daily usage but from their production. For example, around 80 per cent of a phone’s total carbon emissions are generated during its manufacturing process, with only 20 per cent linked to its operational use. This means that the frequent cycle of upgrading devices has a substantial carbon cost. Each time a new phone is produced, considerable energy and resources are expended, increasing overall carbon emissions. This highlights an urgent need for more sustainable technology practices.
Green Software
One solution lies in green software, which aims to prolong the lifespan of devices by keeping them efficient for longer. By improving software to use fewer resources and run smoothly on older hardware, green software can reduce the pressure to upgrade, ultimately decreasing the environmental footprint associated with constant hardware production. It’s hoped that this approach not only helps conserve resources but also represents a meaningful way to minimise the carbon impact of our increasingly technology-driven lives.
The Environmental Cost of Technology and the Role of Software
With the growth of the information technology and communications (ICT) sector, the carbon footprint of technology is expected to escalate. In 2020, ICT accounted for around 1.4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and by 2040, that share is projected to rise to 14 per cent. This trend highlights an urgent need for sustainable practices in tech. Software efficiency can play a significant role in this, not only enabling devices to consume less energy but also extending their life through optimised performance. This approach may reduce carbon emissions, both by lowering the demand for new hardware and by making existing technology operate more efficiently.
The Difference With Green Software
While traditional software is often designed with user experience and functionality in mind, green software prioritises energy efficiency and carbon-conscious practices. Developed by companies such as the Green Software Foundation, tools like the Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) metric offer a way to measure software’s carbon footprint, covering both the direct emissions of the software and the embedded carbon of the hardware on which it runs. This approach is a step towards creating transparent, trackable measures of software’s environmental impact.
Extending Device Life with Green Software
Extending the lifespan of electronic devices can significantly reduce the need for new hardware production and its associated emissions. /e/OS is an example of a notable player in the green software sphere, designed to provide extended support to older Android devices, long after manufacturers have ended their support. Unlike traditional operating systems that may introduce unnecessary features or “bloatware” that can slow down a device, /e/OS minimises resource use and runs efficiently on older hardware, even on devices over ten years old. By offering regular security updates and optimised performance, /e/OS helps users maximise the lifespan of their phones, reducing the need to upgrade prematurely.
It should also be noted here that, beyond its environmental benefits, /e/OS is marketed very much as privacy-centric and emphasises the fact that it offers a “deGoogled” experience, where users can avoid data tracking while using essential smartphone features. This appeals to users who value both sustainability and data privacy, possibly making it a well-rounded solution in the green software landscape (other green software is also available). That said, the /e/OS system’s impact on reducing electronic waste is noteworthy. For example, each phone kept in use for an extra year prevents an estimated 55kg of CO₂ from being emitted due to avoided production.
Carbon-Efficient Operations Through Green Coding Practices
Efficient coding practices are another core aspect of green software. Many modern applications run on cloud servers, where energy consumption is often unmonitored or underestimated. As highlighted by Asim Hussain, Executive Director of the Green Software Foundation, developers rarely seem to consider energy use in server applications due to a lack of monitoring tools. To tackle this, the Green Software Foundation (US-based, founded in 2021 as a global initiative launched by Microsoft, Accenture, GitHub, and ThoughtWorks) developed the SCI metric to measure the carbon intensity of software, allowing developers to track and optimise their applications. The Foundation’s Impact Framework enables developers to estimate emissions based on observable server resource usage, providing actionable insights to improve energy efficiency.
Code Smells
A further initiative, ecoCode (a France-based collaborative project that helps developers create energy-efficient code), identifies “code smells,” or signs that software could run more efficiently. By identifying inefficient code, such as unnecessary database queries or overly complex algorithms, ecoCode encourages developers to create lighter, more efficient applications. For example, as highlighted in a recent article on Yahoo by Tariq Shaukat, CEO of Sonar, “A lot [of code smells] would fall under the umbrella of overly complex code. The second [type] is things that run in an inefficient way: You’re updating or pulling data more frequently than you need to. Another one is bloat. How do you make your app as lean and streamlined as possible?”. Simplifying such code not only improves performance but also reduces the carbon footprint associated with the software’s operation. Companies that adopt ecoCode principles can potentially cut their operational emissions, creating software that uses fewer server resources without compromising functionality.
Examples of Green Software Companies and Their Impact
The green software landscape has seen a growing number of organisations committed to sustainability, each bringing unique solutions. Besides /e/OS (previously mentioned), other companies leading the charge in sustainable software and hardware solutions include:
– Fairphone. This company stands out for its ethical approach to mobile phone production. Though primarily focused on hardware, Fairphone’s software practices contribute to a longer device lifespan. Fairphone’s modular design allows users to easily replace or upgrade components, while its operating system is built to avoid bloatware, resulting in extended device functionality. The Fairphone 3, for example, received software updates for five years post-launch, significantly longer than many mainstream smartphones. This approach aligns with the company’s mission to reduce electronic waste, a priority for its environmentally conscious customer base.
– Mycroft AI. Headquartered in Kansas City in the US, this green software company takes a sustainability-focused approach to AI. The open-source voice assistant, for example, focuses on resource-efficient operation and privacy. Unlike typical AI systems that constantly transmit data to central servers, Mycroft AI allows users to run the software locally, thereby reducing energy consumption and eliminating the need for large data centres. This minimises Mycroft AI’s overall carbon footprint and provides users with a privacy-friendly alternative to more data-intensive virtual assistants.
– Murena, the company behind /e/OS, also complements its mobile OS with a suite of privacy-focused applications, from email to cloud storage. The company’s commitment to open-source practices ensures transparency, allowing users to inspect and verify that the software prioritises minimal resource use and respects data privacy. Murena’s ecosystem, powered by low-impact services, is designed for users who want a comprehensive, privacy-respecting experience without the environmental impact of conventional, high-energy digital services.
– Sailfish OS, developed by the Finnish company Jolla, is a Linux-based mobile operating system designed to be energy-efficient and adaptable. Its lightweight architecture ensures that devices operate smoothly without excessive resource consumption, thereby extending battery life and reducing the need for frequent hardware upgrades. Sailfish OS supports a range of devices, including older models, promoting device longevity and reducing electronic waste. Additionally, its open-source nature allows for community-driven development, fostering transparency and continuous optimisation for energy efficiency.
– PostmarketOS, an open-source project based in Switzerland, aims to provide a sustainable alternative to traditional mobile operating systems. It is designed to run on a wide array of devices, including those no longer supported by their manufacturers, effectively extending their usable life. By offering a streamlined and bloatware-free experience, PostmarketOS reduces the energy consumption of devices, contributing to a lower carbon footprint. The project emphasises privacy and user control, aligning with the principles of green software by minimising resource use and maximising device longevity.
The Growing Importance of Software Sustainability
While the demand for sustainable tech solutions is increasing, the adoption of green software practices remains limited. For example, Gartner estimates that only 10 per cent of large companies currently include sustainability as a criterion in their software procurement, although this is expected to reach 30 per cent by 2027. This shift in priorities reflects a growing recognition among businesses of the importance of reducing their digital carbon footprint.
What About Big Tech Companies?
Microsoft, Google, and Intel could be considered green software companies in so much as they are members of the Green Software Foundation, actively working on reducing the environmental impact of their digital services. Microsoft, for example, has committed to becoming carbon negative by 2030 and is working on tools to help developers reduce energy consumption. By making their software more carbon-efficient, these big companies hope to lead the charge in digital sustainability.
Encouraging a Culture of Sustainability in Software Development
The transition to sustainable tech solutions is not without its challenges. Encouraging developers to prioritise energy efficiency requires a cultural shift within organisations. In an article recently published by Yahoo, for example, Peter Campbell, Director of Green Software at Kainos, discussed the challenges of integrating sustainability into software development. He noted, “We thought that if we educated internally and externally, it would get magical adoption from all our teams. Turns out it doesn’t work as simply as that. The culture piece is really hard, not just to get people to act, but to keep prioritising it. There are so many priorities from our customers that sustainability sometimes isn’t the loudest one.”
The Green Software Foundation’s free courses on sustainability in software aim to address this cultural challenge, equipping developers and engineers with the knowledge to build more efficient applications. These initiatives are important in making green software development a mainstream practice, ensuring that sustainability becomes an integral part of the digital landscape.
What Does This Mean For Your Organisation?
Looking ahead, green software holds promise not only for environmentally conscious consumers but also for businesses aiming to reduce their carbon footprint. For business users, incorporating green software could offer a practical path to extend device lifespans, reduce operational costs, and align with growing environmental expectations from customers and investors alike. As tools like /e/OS and PostmarketOS demonstrate, using lighter, bloat-free software can mean fewer disruptions, improved device performance, and greater privacy control, all of which are key benefits for organisations seeking sustainable, reliable, and secure digital tools.
For green software companies, the path forward is both challenging and ripe with opportunity. As seen with Mycroft AI and ecoCode, sustainable solutions in tech are gaining traction, with businesses increasingly recognising that energy-efficient software can directly translate to lower emissions. However, these companies also face the dual challenge of innovating in ways that are both carbon-efficient and market-competitive.
Big tech players, meanwhile, are under mounting pressure to demonstrate leadership in digital sustainability. With members like Microsoft and Google spearheading initiatives within the Green Software Foundation, there is hope that their influence could accelerate wider industry adoption of green software practices. Their commitments to carbon reduction, as in Microsoft’s ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, appear to reflect a shift in priorities, yet achieving these goals demands that green principles are integrated deeply within all levels of software development and hardware lifecycle management.
As for phone manufacturers, some, like Fairphone, are already paving the way with modular, long-lasting devices, mainstream manufacturers are beginning to extend software support for their devices, a positive step but one that should really expand further. As consumer expectations for durability and sustainability grow, the pressure is mounting for manufacturers to adopt green software practices that can support hardware for longer periods. If big brands make this shift, they have the power to reshape the device industry, potentially reducing electronic waste at a global scale.
