Decarbonizing Code

As Software Engineers, we enjoy writing elegant code - code that is optimised, simplified, readable. But all the phases of the software development cycle - testing, deployment, scaling, maintenance, and decommissioning - rely on electricity, much of which is still generated globally using non-renewable fuel. We need to consider all the phases of the SDLC during the writing process if we are to produce code that is sustainable as well as elegant.

In 2023, it was estimated that the ICT sector was responsible for between 1.5% and 4% of global Green House Gas emissions, and it is now expected that they exceed those of the aviation industry. This includes emissions from communication networks, data centres, cloud computing, and mobile devices. Over the last 18 months, we have also seen massive growth in the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence. In October 2024, due to the increase in demand, Google signed a deal to build several small nuclear reactors over the next 10 years to power its AI data centres in California.

Given the growing demand for energy from our sector, it is our moral responsibility as software developers to write energy-efficient systems with a minimal carbon footprint. This talk will present low-carbon strategies for designing, coding, testing, building, deploying, and scaling information services. Armed with these strategies we can be joyful in writing decarbonised code.

Shirley Tarboton

Shirley Tarboton is an insightful speaker who brings a fresh perspective to the intersection of software development and sustainability. With her technical expertise and insights, she empowers audiences to think differently about how they write and optimize code, offering insights to make software more energy-efficient. Shirley's passion for creating a greener future through technology makes her a perfect fit for Joy of Coding, inspiring developers to embrace their role in building a sustainable digital world.