Max Schulze presented the Green Coding approach at the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport—a three-pillar model of responsibility, transparency, and tools for sustainable software development. Using Drupal as an example, the presentation shows: a 1% efficiency gain saves over 2 million kWh per year.
On April 25, 2023, Max Schulze presented the approach of Green Coding as part of the event 'Simple. Together. Digital.' organized by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport in Berlin, contributing to Germany's digital strategy.
Energy Efficiency in Digital Resources: A Limit Has Been Reached
Digitalization is advancing—and so is the energy demand of software. Computing power is continuously becoming more powerful, leading to software consuming more energy in the long run. At the same time, the miniaturization of microchips is approaching physical limits: Further efficiency gains from smaller transistors are hardly expected. Additionally, hardware production causes environmental impacts that are as significant as ongoing energy consumption.
Green Coding: Three Pillars for Sustainable Software
Green Coding is an approach that considers software development thoroughly from a sustainability perspective. It is based on three fundamental principles:
Responsibility — The digital sector must take responsibility for the environmental impact of digital resources. This requires awareness and visibility of the ecological consequences of the digital economy and digitalization.
Transparency — Providers of digital resources must make their environmental impact visible and understandable for software manufacturers and developers. Without regulatory frameworks, infrastructure providers have no incentive to disclose this data.
Tools and Methods — Across Europe, an ecosystem of tools and methods for sustainable software development is emerging—developed by volunteers and provided as open-source software. These actors need support, visibility, and a framework for further development.
Practical Example: Drupal
Drupal is a free open-source content management system that powers 937,000 websites worldwide. Assuming each Drupal website uses an average of 10% of a server's digital resources, the annual energy consumption is approximately 205.2 million kWh. A mere 1% improvement in efficiency across all Drupal installations would reduce energy consumption by about 2 million kWh per year—equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 1,380 single-person households.
Shaping Sustainable Digitalization
IDED is working towards digitalization that is sustainable for people, the environment, and the economy. Green Coding is not an optional add-on but a fundamental requirement: Anyone who wants to shape digitalization responsibly must systematically record, make visible, and reduce the environmental impact of software.