On its own, the programme does not consume energy or emit pollutants. The problem lies in the way the software is developed, and then in the way it is used. If the software we want to acquire is not efficient and consumes a lot of resources, we will need more powerful machinery than necessary, and then we will be increasing the consumption of energy and other raw materials.
An ecological software is, by definition, a quality product, suitable for its purpose, lighter and cleaner. If you wish to contract the development of a programme, it is advisable to bear in mind two basic aspects:
- It is necessary to establish limits and levels of tolerance, given that there comes a time when the processing requirements do not provide significant benefits in relation to the economic and environmental costs.
- Ask developers to implement solutions to minimise carbon emissions.
When acquiring software licences, you can look for options that have environmental certifications such as the Blue Angel, which is awarded to those products that, among other aspects, meet resource and energy efficiency criteria and do not generate the need to change the machinery when upgrades are installed.
Finally, it is important to bear in mind that when we work in the cloud from any programme, as users we can contribute to reducing energy consumption by eliminating duplicate copies of data or compressing data into smaller chunks.
*Based on How green is your software?, of the Harvard Business Review.