State of Green Software

The 2023 SOGS report is the culmination of an extensive, collaborative effort to gain profound insights into the current state of green software from the perspective of software practitioners. The publication covers the Foundation’s Theory of Change pillars: Knowledge, Tech Culture, and Tooling.

Our journey began in Q3 2022 with the State of Green Software Survey, our effort to drive meticulous preliminary research through thoughtful survey design to support knowledge mapping and analysis of existing tools to measure and monitor the carbon emissions of software.

The State of Green Software Survey

The SOGS global survey blended qualitative and quantitative aspects. Through 25 questions, we began capturing demographic information and data to ascertain levels of awareness and adoption, points of friction, and what is helping catalyze green software from the perspective of software developers.

In total, we gathered an impressive 2,191 responses from software practitioners hailing from diverse organizations worldwide. Our survey attracted participants from a wide range of company sizes and geographical locations. We heard from passionate individuals spanning Japan, Australia, Poland, Mexico, the UK, the United States, and beyond. The global reach of our survey ensured a rich and comprehensive perspective on the state of green software across borders.

Secondary Research

In addition to the SOGS survey, we delved into secondary desk research to uncover insights shared in reports from major consultancy firms, including McKinsey and Gartner, and cutting-edge peer-reviewed academic research in leading journals like Nature. We also sought perspectives from thought leaders in green software. These conversations provided us with unique perspectives and a lens into how theory translates across companies, domains, and applications.

By blending the rich data gathered from the SOGS survey with comprehensive background research, the SOGS digital publication presents a holistic and accurate representation of the state of green software, globally.

Acknowledgements

SOGS required the knowledge, expertise and support of many individuals across several disciplines and geographies. The Foundation would like to thank each individual for their vital contribution to the development, design, launch and promotion of the first edition of the State of Green Software report.

Leadership

Asim Hussain, Executive Director & Chairperson

Chris Adams, Policy Working Group Chair

Elise Zelechowski, Policy Working Group Chair

Tamara Kneese, Lead Researcher and Author

Development Team

Anita Holczmann, ex Project Manager

Catherine Maughan, Technical Copyeditor

Ismael Velasco, Researcher

Jenya Sapriykina, Graphic Designer

Namrata Narayan, Communications Specialist and Editor

Oleg Zhymolokhov, Project Manager

Osama Jandali, Lead Web Developer & Designer

Evangelists

Adam Jackson, Community Mobilizer

Chris Lloyd-Jones, Activator

Lisa McNally, Strategic Advisor

Zane Griffin Talley Cooper, Survey Design

Our incredible community of members and partners played a pivotal role in spreading the word about our survey far and wide. Their support helped build the rich and diverse dataset that forms the foundation of our work. We collected responses from Accenture, Amadeus, Avanade, Boston Consulting Group, Container Solutions, The Explorers, Globant, Intel, Mastercard, Microsoft, NTT Data Corporation, Syngenio AG, Texas State University, Thoughtworks, and University of Bristol. Avanade, in particular, raised the profile of the SOGS survey among their employees. Thank you for your collective efforts and providing us a treasure trove of insights to analyze and derive meaningful conclusions.

We would also like to take a moment to thank our public network engaged through Twitter, LinkedIn, email, and our website, who shared their experience by completing the SOGS survey.

We look forward to sharing the next edition of this publication in 2024.

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