Green computing

Green computing, green IT (information technology), or Information and Communication Technology Sustainability, is the study and practice of environmentally sustainable computing or IT.

The goals of green computing include optimising energy efficiency during the product's lifecycle; leveraging greener energy sources to power the product and its network; improving the reusability, maintainability, and repairability of the product to extend its lifecycle; improving the recyclability or biodegradability of e-waste to support circular economy ambitions; and aligning the manufacture and use of IT systems with environmental and social goals. Green computing is important for all classes of systems, ranging from handheld systems to large-scale data centers. According to the International Energy Agency, data centres accounted for about 1.5% of global electricity consumption in 2024 (~415 TWh), and under its central scenario, demand could roughly double to ~945 TWh by 2030, with AI workloads a major driver of growth. Sustainable development is a concept that redefines the notion of the general interest by integrating environmental, social, and economic considerations. Many corporate IT departments have green computing initiatives to reduce the environmental effect of their IT operations. Yet it is also clear that the environmental footprint of the sector is significant, estimated at 5-9% of the world's total electricity use and more than 2% of all emissions. Data centers and telecommunications networks will need to become more energy efficient, reuse waste energy, use more renewable energy sources, and use less water for cooling to stay competitive. In the European Union, policy efforts and industry initiatives aim for climate-neutral data centers by 2030.

The carbon emissions associated with manufacturing devices and network infrastructures is also a key factor.

Green computing can involve complex trade-offs. It can be useful to distinguish between IT for environmental sustainability and the environmental sustainability of IT. Although green IT focuses on the environmental sustainability of IT, in practice these two aspects are often interconnected. For example, launching an online shopping platform may increase the carbon footprint of a company's own IT operations, while at the same time helping customers to purchase products remotely, without requiring them to drive, in turn reducing greenhouse gas emission related to travel. The company might be able to take credit for these decarbonisation benefits under its Scope 3 emissions reporting, which includes emissions from across the entire value chain.