With climate change taking a more central place in the policies of many governments, green technologies are penetrating an increasing number of industries—and software engineering is no exception. Ashis Chowdhury, an IT professional with 23 years of experience who has worked with multiple Fortune 500 companies and now serves as a Data Architect at MasterCard UK, has firsthand knowledge of sustainable practices and efficiency in software development. He sits down with us to share his insights into the burgeoning field of sustainable software development, explaining what green coding is and how organizations can align technology with environmental responsibility.
You have immense experience in the technology sector. How did you engage in sustainable software development?
Ashis Chowdhury: Actually, every big organization nowadays has some goals or targets around sustainability. I got the chance to work more closely in this area at Mastercard. We at Mastercard also have sustainability goals, and initiatives are in place to achieve those targets.
The IT industry’s exponential growth is a double-edged sword. What many people may not be aware of is that while it drives innovation, it also contributes significantly to global energy consumption and carbon emissions. To put things into perspective, a Carnegie Mellon University study (ref: Carbon and the Cloud | STANFORD magazine) concluded that the energy cost of data transfer and storage is about 7 kWh per gigabyte.
For me, sustainability is not just a trend but a necessity. Witnessing the environmental costs of data-intensive operations over the years inspired me to advocate for greener practices in software development.
Could you explain what “green coding” means exactly?
Ashis Chowdhury: Certainly. Green coding involves writing efficient code designed to use fewer resources—CPU cycles, memory, storage, and network bandwidth. It’s about creating software that minimizes energy consumption without compromising functionality or user experience, thereby reducing the amount of CO₂ emitted during the execution of the software.
Green coding reduces inefficiency and helps organizations not only lower their carbon footprint but also operate more sustainably. Beyond cost savings, it’s about aligning technology with sustainable values.
As a top engineer, could you list the top practices developers and designers adopt to achieve greener software development?
Ashis Chowdhury: I have designed many mission-critical and resource-intensive applications, and I’ve seen firsthand that good design can have a huge impact on reducing resource consumption.
Some of the patterns and practices that should be considered during design and development to reduce resource usage—and thus the carbon footprint—include:
- Removing unnecessary data from storage, applying data compression for non-volatile data, and implementing data retention policies
- Using microservices architecture with efficient protocols like gRPC instead of REST
- Choosing the right storage tier—for example, moving infrequently accessed data to cold storage
- Using optimized queries and indexing for database applications
- Partitioning data to enable horizontal scaling, improve performance, and increase database capacity; this significantly improves query performance
- Utilizing intelligent caching to reduce database executions
- Optimizing the data replication process—for example, implementing selective replication
- Optimizing batch timings by moving non-critical processes to off-peak hours
- Deploying workloads in regions with abundant renewable energy
It’s clear you’re passionate about this topic. Do you think the tech industry is doing enough to embrace sustainability?
Ashis Chowdhury: We’ve made progress, but there’s still a long way to go. While major tech giants have made strides toward carbon neutrality, smaller firms often lack the resources or awareness to prioritize sustainability. Industry-wide campaigns, certifications for green coding, and knowledge-sharing forums can help bridge this gap.
How significant are the benefits of green coding in real-world scenarios?
Ashis Chowdhury: Extremely significant. For instance, large-scale enterprises adopting green coding practices can see considerable cost savings and a reduced environmental impact. Optimizing even a single widely used application can save a substantial amount of energy across millions of users.
Can sustainable software practices decrease performance?
Ashis Chowdhury: Not at all. In fact, efficient software generally performs better. Green coding improves performance, scalability, and often reduces operational costs—creating a win-win situation.
How do you envision the future of green software development?
Ashis Chowdhury: I see sustainable software development practices becoming a core requirement in any software design process. Companies will increasingly prioritize green coding standards as stakeholders and consumers demand environmentally responsible practices.
Ashis, it’s been enlightening speaking with you. Any closing thoughts?
Ashis Chowdhury: Thank you—it’s been a pleasure. My closing thought is that sustainability and innovation go hand in hand. Green coding isn’t a constraint; it’s an opportunity to do our part in saving the planet from the effects of global warming.
