At Apiumhub, we have started a series of interviews with green software experts to raise awareness about green software. Our first interview was with Paola Annis, engineering manager at Microsoft and founding member of the Green Software Foundation, and now we had the pleasure of having an interview with Annie Freeman. Keep reading to learn more about her experience and what got her to become an advocate for this non-profit organization.

Interview with Annie Freeman

Annie Freeman is a prominent speaker for the Green Software Foundation and a talented software engineer at Xero in New Zealand.

Annie Freeman’s Journey to Green Software Advocate

Annie’s journey to becoming a Green Software Advocate began when she was a graduate engineer in her first job. She came across an article about green coding and was intrigued by the concept of using software to address climate change. She submitted a talk on Green Software to her company’s internal technology conference, even though there wasn’t much knowledge or resources available at that time. Her talk was well-received and sparked her interest in pursuing Green Software advocacy.

Interview with Annie Freeman: Green Software initiatives

The Green Software Foundation is a community group that was founded in May 2021 to advocate for the adoption of environmentally conscious software practices. The Foundation has produced resources, shared ideas, and raised awareness about Green Software. They have also developed a Green Software certification program and offer resources on measuring and making changes to reduce the environmental impact of software. Microsoft’s Windows 11 updates are a good example of a concrete initiative that addresses the environmental impact of software.

AI and Green Software

According to Annie Freeman, AI has the potential to both help and harm the environment. AI is expected to consume 3.5% of the world’s electricity by 2030. AI can be used to make software more efficient and identify the best times to run data backups, which can reduce the environmental impact of software.

Insights regarding the future of Green Software

In our interview with Annie Freeman, she expressed that it is becoming easier to measure the environmental impact of software, which will make it easier for organizations to make informed decisions about how to improve their practices. As the cost of renewable energy continues to decrease, it will become more cost-effective to run software on renewable energy sources. AI will continue to play a role in Green Software, as it can be used to optimize software performance and identify ways to reduce energy consumption.

The Green Software movement is still in its early stages, but there is a growing awareness of the importance of addressing the environmental impact of software. There are several initiatives underway to promote Green Software, and AI has the potential to play a significant role in the future of Green Software.

Resources

In this interview with Annie Freeman, she shared with us some resources you may want to take a look at to learn more about Green Software initiatives and ways to contribute.

• Green Software Practitioners Course:https://training.linuxfoundation.org/…
• Software Carbon Intensity Guide:https://sci-guide.greensoftware.found…
• Green Software’s Carbon Aware SDK and Web API:https://github.com/Green-Software-Fou…
• Green Software Foundation Speakers:https://speakers.greensoftware.founda…
• International Energy Agency – Data Centre energy use, emissions, and activities to reduce emissions:https://www.iea.org/energy-system/bui…
• AWS Customer Carbon Footprint Tool:https://aws.amazon.com/aws-cost-manag…
• Azure Carbon Tacking Tool:https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/susta…
• Cloud Carbon Footprint (Open Source tracking software for cloud usage):https://www.cloudcarbonfootprint.org/
• Code Carbon (Track and reduce emissions from AI):https://codecarbon.io/
• Dr Sasha Luccioni’s TED talk on the dangers of AI including environmental impact:https://www.ted.com/talks/sasha_lucci…

Are you interested in contributing to the Green Software Foundation? They welcome contributions from individuals and companies all over the world. Visit their site here if you are eager to learn more about their initiatives. Also, feel free to visit our YouTube channel if you would like to watch more videos like this interview with Annie Freeman.

How Software Engineers Can Help Solve Climate Change

In November 2023 we had the opportunity to have an online session with Annie Freeman. She talked about how software contributes to carbon emissions, how software engineers can change the way they build software to reduce and optimize energy consumption, and how small changes can impact its space. Could not attend? You can still watch the recording of the session here.