Unstoppable digitalization puts increasing pressure on organizations to reduce the carbon footprint of both their operations and the technology that supports them. The emergence of artificial intelligence in the business environment has further intensified this pressure. Since AI models require energy-intensive computing systems to operate, CIOs are tasked with achieving significant improvements in the energy efficiency of IT systems. In this context, software efficiency practices can play a decisive role in reducing the carbon footprint of IT, but organizations have not yet fully exploited their potential.

So where to start? Digital transformation projects are complex, and sustainable IT solutions are multidimensional, requiring specialized knowledge and a comprehensive approach to systems. In sustainable IT design, five key areas continue to gain ground. The first three are easy to address, but it is software efficiency that is often overlooked. And that is a critical mistake because it is where some of the most significant improvements can be achieved.

Software efficiency makes it possible to optimize code on tailored hardware platforms and use intelligent software to automate environments, drive efficiency, and improve management practices. Surprisingly, there are still IT professionals who are amazed to discover that beyond designing energy-efficient hardware, we can also substantially reduce the amount of energy required to run an application by implementing key software efficiency processes, such as changing the way we write programs, choosing more efficient programming languages, and optimizing where we host those programs.
The Challenge

While IT manufacturers strive to reduce energy consumption, developers often prioritize time efficiency over energy efficiency. A common practice to save time is to add additional lines of code on top of existing ones when developing a new program or instruction. And while this may speed up the process, the new program might require more energy to run. Therefore, application developers should focus on practices such as writing lines of code that run faster, or adapting them so that they are optimized for specific hardware.
Software efficiency practices can play a decisive role in reducing IT's carbon footprint

The choice of programming language can also make a difference. Experts already point out that computer programming languages, such as RUST or C, are inherently more efficient than more popular languages ​​such as Python because they take less time to run, thus consuming less electricity.

Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for software efficiency and it requires ongoing review and optimization, such as checking whether existing applications could be retired, optimizing software for a specific hardware infrastructure, and considering what combination of public, private, or hybrid cloud environments best optimizes application and infrastructure efficiency.
What should companies do?

The positive is that energy efficiency integrates seamlessly into practices already used to modernize applications and migrate to the cloud. For example, Gartner’s well-known 7Rs approach to cloud migration includes a series of steps that urge developers to restructure applications to take full advantage of cloud-native features, selectively rewrite applications to optimize efficiency, move them to a cloud environment minimizing the need to change hardware, and selectively keep applications in their current location and form while removing those that are no longer needed. Whatever the framework chosen, there are four pieces of advice that companies should consider:

Be intentional. That is, be more deliberate about which applications you develop, or buy, because these choices impact the cost, resources and energy required by the solution, as well as performance.

Measure. The emerging unit of measurement for application efficiency is known as Software Carbon Intensity (SCI). When purchasing applications, it is wise to ask vendors about the SCI of SaaS or purchased enterprise applications.

Educate. Developers are not typically trained in software efficiency or software engineering practices, but organizations should invest in developing these skills, whether within their team or internally.nvolving outside experts. Fortunately, specialized training options are emerging, such as the Green Software Foundation’s free Green Software Practitioner training offering.

Build a comprehensive sustainable IT strategy. Adopting more efficient software development practices can help improve IT efficiency, but organizations must remember that it is still one element of a broader set of strategies they can implement to improve the sustainability of their technology solutions. Organizations must ensure they include the five key areas of sustainable IT in their strategy: equipment efficiency, energy efficiency, resource efficiency, software efficiency, and data efficiency.

One of the key efficiency opportunities for technology teams lies in software applications. The collective challenge for global technology leaders will be to eliminate outdated traditional practices and incorporate this new knowledge into the thinking and success metrics of the next generation of technology talent.

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