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| Microsoft's Digital Sustainability Guidelines Bolster Singapore's Leadership in Southeast Asian Innovation |
Singapore – September 26, 2023 – In a groundbreaking collaboration, Microsoft and Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have introduced digital sustainability guidelines aimed at promoting eco-consciousness among businesses and developers. These guidelines, developed in partnership with the Green Software Foundation (GSF), signify a significant milestone in a global public-private alliance between IMDA and Microsoft, with the aim of fostering the creation of sustainable software applications for a greener digital future, both locally and globally.
GitHub reports a remarkable surge in developer communities, with over 85 million software development projects initiated worldwide in 2022. Paradoxically, the United Nations' findings highlight the software industry's contribution to nearly three percent of global carbon emissions, a figure that rivals the aviation sector. As the demand for technology surges in the digital era, the carbon footprint of the software industry continues to expand, underscoring the critical importance of carbon-efficient software that minimizes emissions from the outset.
Jeth Lee, Chief Legal Officer at Microsoft Singapore, emphasized the shared responsibility of nurturing a resilient, digitally inclusive future. He noted that the guidelines offer developers the principles and tools required to construct inherently sustainable applications. Moreover, they facilitate practical means of monitoring and reporting emissions, thereby actively contributing to net-zero targets.
The digital sustainability guidelines furnish comprehensive educational resources and actionable insights for businesses and developers committed to curbing carbon emissions and creating long-lasting, scalable sustainable solutions. These guidelines elucidate the intricate interplay between hardware and software sustainability principles and measurements. They provide clear directives on integrating energy efficiency, carbon awareness, and hardware efficiency into the software engineering and development processes. This ensures that applications and solutions are energy-efficient and carbon-conscious from the outset. For example, developers may schedule software testing and updates during times when power demand from the grid is lower, reducing embodied carbon.
Beyond outlining principles, the guidelines also offer practical tools and solutions to help businesses and developers monitor, report, and reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gases (GHG) generated throughout the lifecycle of an application or solution. These tools include the GSF's Carbon Aware software development kit (SDK) and Microsoft Sustainability Manager.
Chee Wei Nga, Director of the Emerging Technology Office at IMDA, highlighted Singapore's aspiration to become a leading digital sustainability hub. He underscored the importance of greening the ICT sector and expressed IMDA's commitment to collaborate with partners like Microsoft and the Green Software Foundation to promote energy efficiency, carbon awareness, and sustainable software development.
Asim Hussain, Executive Director and Chairperson of the GSF, emphasized the focus on solutions that prioritize impact and provide software makers with a clear roadmap toward decarbonization and energy efficiency. He welcomed the introduction of the Digital Sustainability Guidelines as an informative resource to drive sustainable outcomes.
The guidelines are accessible through Microsoft's website, IMDA's website, and the Green Software Foundation.
These guidelines were trialed in the Singapore GreenTech Challenge, where developers collaborated to create carbon-efficient solutions. Winners of the challenge included Evercomm, WeavAir, and ReClimate. In partnership with IMDA, Microsoft identified industry challenges and sourced solutions through IMDA's extensive network of startups, technology providers, and research institutes. The challenge unveiled a plethora of new principles and tools to empower organizations in addressing pressing sustainability concerns.
Recognizing the urgency of addressing climate change, Microsoft has committed to becoming carbon-negative by 2030, with a plan to remove all the carbon emitted directly or indirectly through electricity use since its inception in 1975. For more details on Microsoft's progress and efforts toward its global net-zero goals, please refer to the Microsoft 2022 Environmental Sustainability Report.
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