Dave wallace, founder, podcast host, writer and advisor

Afterword to 'Decarbonise Digital : Facts. Methods. Action.'

"I have been very privileged to be an observer, occasional advisor, and constant cheerleader for Eric and the team at GoCodeGreen, as they have gone from a start-up with a brilliant idea to a business recognised for its impact.

My interest in the consequences of technology on the planet started about the same time Eric was incorporating the company.

I had a simple question. I was trying to answer an article I was asked to write for a publication. Is anyone focused on measuring the carbon footprint of technology? It turns out there was someone named Eric. We connected and chatted, and we have remained in close contact since.

As Eric has explained, we live in an age dominated by technology. Almost everything we touch and do involves hardware and software. We are surrounded by computers from the moment we wake up and look at our smart watches, to reaching for our phones to check social media, to the journeys we make in our cars, to our places of work, and to our entertainment. And the proliferation of machines will only increase as we move into a world where the Cloud and AI dominate.

Computing has a significant impact on the environment. On the scale we have become used to, it requires massive amounts of energy and water and has become a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

We have to accept that digital technology is a fact of modern life, but if it continues to consume energy and water and generate excess heat in the way it is currently doing, its impact on our warming world will be devastating.

So, we have to find ways to understand the problem and make the technology footprint as small as possible.

Eric and the team at GoCodeGreen have codified a way of measuring the carbon footprint of software so that it is possible to make firm recommendations on how to make reductions. This has been such a positive and decisive move for the software industry. It shines a light on how correctly architecting, designing, and developing software can make a material difference to its carbon footprint.

This book provides so much insight into what that means and how, individually and collectively, the development community can adopt best practices and ensure that they work within an IT strategy that places the planet as a stakeholder.

If you work in IT, you should read this book. The ask is a gentle convincing currently, but regulation will come that mandates best practices for green development in the future. Now is the time to act and get ahead of the curve.

Honestly, that is what the planet needs. Less talk and more action!

Finally, Eric, as someone who has dyslexia, the manga is much appreciated!"