At the weekend we at Answer Digital held our annual kick off. It was a great time to come together as a group when the pressure of the working week was off, to reflect and celebrate our achievements over the past year while looking forward to the year ahead.

From the many energetic and thought-provoking sessions held over the course of the weekend, the theme that certainly resonated with me most was that of the environment and the part we can all play within the Digital industry to ensure our environmental footprints are kept as small as possible. Maybe this awoke some dormant knowledge, thought long forgotten, locked away in a dim and distance part of my brain, gathered during the time I studied Environmental Management at university a another life time ago, who knows, but it got me thinking.

This space feels like it is only going to grow. I have used this blog to call out some of the things already available. If anything resonates with you as the reader come and talk to me or any of my Answer Digital colleagues, personally I’d love a chat and an opportunity to catch up.

Green coding audits, also known as eco-friendly coding or sustainable coding feel to me like they are going to become ever more important. This is the practice of reviewing and optimising the environmental impact of software development and website design. With the rise of concerns about climate change and the increasing energy consumption of the tech industry, more and more companies are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and operate in a more sustainable manner. Why? Because their customers will demand it. Green coding audits are one way to achieve this goal, by identifying and addressing areas where software development can be made more energy-efficient and less resource-intensive.

One of the key benefits of green coding audits is that they can help companies to save money on energy costs. Software development can be a resource-intensive process, and even small improvements in energy efficiency can lead to significant savings over time. For example, by reducing the amount of time that servers are running, or by optimizing the use of cloud resources, companies can reduce their energy consumption and lower their bills.

Another benefit of green coding audits is that they can help to improve the performance of software applications. By identifying and addressing areas of inefficiency or waste, companies can ensure that their software is running as efficiently as possible, which can lead to faster load times and better overall performance.

To perform a green coding audit, companies can use a variety of tools and techniques to assess the environmental impact of their software development. These may include analysing the energy consumption of servers and other hardware, measuring the carbon footprint of cloud resources, or evaluating the energy efficiency of the code itself.

One example of a tool that can be used for green coding audits is the Carbon Footprint Calculator for GitHub. This tool allows developers to measure the carbon footprint of their software development by analysing the energy consumption of servers and other resources used in the development process.

Another example is GreenCode, a tool that analyses code and suggests ways to make it more energy-efficient. This can be done by reducing the number of server requests made by the code, or by identifying areas of inefficiency that can be optimized.

Overall, green coding audits are an important tool for companies looking to reduce their environmental impact and operate in a more sustainable manner. By identifying and addressing areas of inefficiency in software development, companies can save money on energy costs, improve the performance of their software, and do their part to combat climate change.

It's important to note that this is not a one-time task, but rather a continuous effort to improve. Green coding audits should be part of a larger sustainability strategy and be integrated into the development process. This will help companies to stay on top of new developments in sustainable coding and to continuously improve their environmental performance.

In conclusion, green coding audits are becoming more and more important as companies strive to reduce their environmental impact and operate in a more sustainable manner. By identifying and addressing areas of inefficiency in software development, companies can save money on energy costs, improve the performance of their software, and do their part to combat climate change. It's important to make this a continuous effort and to integrate it into the development process, rather than a one-time task.

It doesn’t take much to make a difference. At Answer Digital we would love the opportunity to partner with you on your journey. If you have feedback on this blog, questions, or just want to say hello, please get in touch, it will be great to catch up.

Matt Cotton, Lead BA Answer Digital

Tel Number: 07540191350

Email: matthew.cotton@answerdigital.com