Sustainable IT in Nuremberg: Meetup for Green Software Development
Published on November 26, 2024
The IT Industry Faces a Major Responsibility: Around four percent of global CO₂ emissions are attributed to it—and the number is rising. That’s why Jürgen Leger, Managing Director at Tantive GmbH, and Julian Gommlich, Green Software Engineer at DATEV eG, launched the “Green Software Development Nürnberg” meetup. Their goal is to make software development more sustainable by creating a platform for knowledge sharing, innovative ideas, and collaborative action.
Why a Meetup for Green IT?
“It was long overdue!” says Jürgen, when asked about the motivation behind founding the “Green Software Development Nürnberg” meetup. Until now, Nuremberg lacked a space where professionals and enthusiasts could exchange ideas about sustainable software development. The meetup aims to change that.
“Our goal is to connect companies and individuals interested in sustainable IT and to encourage open dialogue so we can learn from each other,” Jürgen explains. And he speaks from experience: Tantive GmbH has already been a trailblazer, playing a leading role at Green IT Day 2024. The positive experiences there, along with the significant interest it generated, demonstrated how essential an ongoing platform for Green IT truly is.
Software Development in the Fight Against CO₂
"Software developers and IT companies play an extremely important role in combating climate change."
“Especially because CO₂ emissions are likely to keep increasing in the coming years,” explains Julian. The focus is on striking a balance between creating software that is useful and high-performing, while also conserving resources. He emphasizes that sustainable software often means avoiding unnecessary features.
Approaches like Green Coding help save energy through efficient algorithms and optimized codebases. But it’s not just the code itself—the entire development and operations process is being examined:
- Green DevOps: Resource-efficient deployments that rely on renewable energy.
- Green Operations: Improving efficiency in data centers and optimizing server loads.
“A key approach is ‘Green Coding,’ writing efficient code that reduces the required computing power, which in turn consumes less energy,” Julian explains.
AI: Curse or Blessing?
Jürgen views the role of artificial intelligence (AI) as ambivalent: “AI can be both a curse and a blessing in the fight against global CO₂ emissions.” On one hand, training large models requires massive resources and generates significant emissions.
On the other hand, AI can serve as a tool to develop sustainable processes. “For instance, AI-driven analyses can help optimize energy consumption and reduce emissions by identifying and enabling more resource-efficient processes,” he explains. When used strategically, AI can also become a driving force for greater efficiency in software development.
On the other hand, AI can serve as a tool to develop sustainable processes. “For instance, AI-driven analyses can help optimize energy consumption and reduce emissions by identifying and enabling more resource-efficient processes,” he explains. When used strategically, AI can also become a driving force for greater efficiency in software development.
Measures for a More Sustainable IT
When asked about current tools and standards for climate-friendly software development, Julian explains that, while there are no established market standards yet, plenty of practical approaches are already available. “These so-called ‘low-hanging fruits’ can create significant impacts with minimal effort,” he says. Some of these measures include:
- Shutting down unused systems: Test or legacy systems should only be active when needed.
- Dynamic scaling: Resources should adapt to demand to avoid overcapacity.
- Resource-efficient time slots: Computing workloads can be shifted to times when renewable energy is more readily available.
- Choice of programming language: Efficient programming languages and libraries save computation time and energy.
Education as the Key to Success
According to Julian, education is a critical factor for Green IT: “Raising awareness is an important first step—developers need to understand the environmental impact of software and recognize the significance of their contribution to CO₂ reduction.”
With initiatives like GreenX, the Climate Puzzle, and a Do's and Don'ts Checklist, the meetup aims to not only raise awareness but also provide practical guidance for action. Julian emphasizes the importance of integrating Green IT into education early on:
“Examples like the Green IT lecture in web development training at DATEV or the Green IT webinars at DHBW show how valuable these initiatives already are and how much potential lies in education.”
Community and Outlook
he first meetup on October 29 marked the beginning of a regular event series, which will take place on the first Tuesday of every month.
Additional events are planned for 2025, including a Green Hackathon and Green IT Day Nürnberg, which will feature workshops and talks to create a broader platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration.
“A meetup offers an easy and inspiring way to exchange experiences, spark new ideas, and build a community that integrates Green IT into everyday practice,” Julian concludes.
Sarah Grodd
Projektmanagerin
NUEDIGITAL
