===================================== PROJECT: Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) URL: greensoftware.foundation/sci LANGUAGES: English STAGE: Publication (ISO/IEC 21031:2024)
- Overview
- Why SCI Matters
- Success Stories
- Research
- About GSF
- Directory
HEADLINE: Measure What Matters: Software's Carbon Impact SUBHEADLINE: The global standard for calculating and reducing the carbon emissions of your software BODY: Every software application has a carbon footprint through the energy it consumes and the hardware it requires. The Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) specification provides the first ISO-accredited methodology to measure this impact as a score. Unlike carbon offsets, SCI focuses on actual emission reductions—empowering developers, architects, and organizations to make informed decisions that create real environmental change.
CTA_BUTTON_PRIMARY: Take SCI Course CTA_LINK_PRIMARY: https://movement.greensoftware.foundation/collections/2996409 l
CTA_BUTTON_SECONDARY: Read the Specification CTA_LINK_SECONDARY: https://sci.greensoftware.foundation CTA_STYLE_SECONDARY: ghost_button
[COMPONENT: gsf_member_logos_banner] CAPTION: "ISO-accredited and endorsed by leading technology organizations"
HEADING: What is Software Carbon Intensity?
CONTENT: The Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) specification is an ISO-accredited standard (ISO/IEC 21031:2024) for measuring the carbon emissions of software applications. It provides a clear, consistent methodology that transforms complex environmental data into a single actionable score—making it possible to compare different software solutions, track improvements over time, and make evidence-based decisions about technology choices.
Unlike traditional carbon accounting that focuses on totals and offsets, SCI calculates a rate—carbon emissions per functional unit of your software, whether that's per user, per transaction, or per API call. This approach reveals the true efficiency of your software and guides you toward meaningful reductions through better code, smarter infrastructure choices, and carbon-aware computing strategies.
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CONTENT: Referenced in 15+ peer-reviewed papers | Globally adopted | ISO/IEC 21031:2024 certified | Dedicated course launching Q4 2025
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HEADING: Why SCI Matters INTRO: Software's environmental impact is invisible but significant—and growing exponentially with AI and digital transformation.
SUBSECTION: Industry Impact Every line of code, every server, every user interaction contributes to the software's growing carbon footprint. The SCI specification makes this invisible impact visible and actionable. By providing a standardized measurement protocol, it enables the entire industry to work from the same playbook—creating transparency, driving innovation, and accelerating the transition to truly sustainable technology. Major organizations, including AVEVA, Microsoft, NTT DATA, and UBS, are already using SCI to transform how they build and deploy software.
SUBSECTION: Business Benefits [ICON: chart] Drive Cost Efficiency - Software optimized for lower SCI scores uses less energy and hardware, directly reducing operational costs [ICON: clock] Meet Sustainability Goals - Demonstrate measurable progress toward net-zero commitments with ISO-certified methodology [ICON: dollar] Gain Competitive Advantage - Differentiate your products with verified sustainability credentials that customers increasingly demand [ICON: shield] Future-Proof Operations - Stay ahead of emerging regulations and reporting requirements with established measurement practices
SUBSECTION: Environmental Impact Every point reduction in your SCI score represents real carbon that never enters the atmosphere. This isn't about purchasing offsets or making claims - it's about fundamental changes in how software is designed, developed, and deployed. When organizations optimize for SCI, they naturally adopt practices that reduce energy consumption, extend hardware lifecycles, and shift computing to cleaner energy sources. The cumulative effect of thousands of development teams making these optimizations could prevent millions of tons of carbon emissions annually.
HEADING: A New Way to Think About Software CONTENT: The SCI score combines three essential factors that determine software's carbon footprint: the energy your software consumes (E), the carbon intensity of that energy based on location and time (I), and the embodied emissions from manufacturing the hardware (M). These are calculated per functional unit (R) - creating a rate that reveals true efficiency.
This simple equation - SCI = (E × I + M) per R - transforms how teams approach software development. Instead of guessing at environmental impact, you can measure it. Instead of generic best practices, you have specific targets. Instead of greenwashing, you have genuine reductions.
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HEADING: Organizations Leading with SCI
INTRO: Financial institutions, consultancies, and technology companies worldwide are implementing SCI to measure and reduce software carbon emissions. These case studies demonstrate practical applications across different industries and architectures.
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THUMBNAIL: Accenture logo
TITLE: Implementing SCI to Track Software Emissions
ORGANIZATION: Accenture
DESCRIPTION: Accenture applied SCI to calculate and track carbon emissions for an internal reference application, establishing a practical baseline methodology that includes embodied emissions.
SOURCE: GSF Blog
CTA_TEXT: Read Case Study
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THUMBNAIL: UBS logo
TITLE: Baselining Software Carbon Emissions
ORGANIZATION: UBS
DESCRIPTION: UBS demonstrates applying SCI to baseline carbon emissions for two enterprise applications in investment banking and asset management, identifying available data sources and calculation methodologies.
SOURCE: GSF Blog
CTA_TEXT: Read Case Study
CTA_LINK: https://greensoftware.foundation/articles/baselining-software-carbon-emissions-ubs-use-case
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THUMBNAIL: CAST logo
TITLE: Decarbonizing Software with SCI
ORGANIZATION: CAST Software
DESCRIPTION: CAST integrated SCI with CAST Highlight to decarbonize an enterprise application, achieving an estimated 400 kg annual CO2 reduction and 5% improvement in execution duration.
SOURCE: GSF Blog
CTA_TEXT: Read Case Study
CTA_LINK: https://greensoftware.foundation/articles/decarbonizing-software-how-cast-applied-the-sci-metric
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THUMBNAIL: NTT Data logo
TITLE: Calculating Carbon Footprint for Serverless Apps
ORGANIZATION: NTT Data
DESCRIPTION: A practical guide to measuring carbon emissions of serverless applications using the SCI specification, with step-by-step methodology for event-driven architectures.
SOURCE: GSF Blog
CTA_TEXT: Read Guide
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THUMBNAIL: UBS + Microsoft logos
TITLE: Carbon-Aware Computing at UBS
ORGANIZATION: UBS & Microsoft
DESCRIPTION: UBS and Microsoft implemented the first enterprise-scale carbon-aware computing system, using SCI and the Carbon Aware SDK to reduce emissions in their core risk platform workloads.
SOURCE: Microsoft Whitepaper
CTA_TEXT: Read Whitepaper
CTA_LINK: https://news.microsoft.com/de-ch/carbon-aware-computing-whitepaper/
SECONDARY_LINK: https://greensoftware.foundation/articles/carbon-aware-computing-whitepaper-how-ubs-succeeded-in-measuring-and-reducing-car/
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THUMBNAIL: Microsoft Azure logo
TITLE: Embedding SCI in Azure Architecture
ORGANIZATION: Microsoft
DESCRIPTION: Microsoft integrated SCI into the Azure Well-Architected Framework, providing sustainability guidance and measurement tools for Azure customers to design carbon-efficient workloads.
SOURCE: Microsoft Learn
CTA_TEXT: View Framework
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[TESTIMONIAL]
QUOTE: "SCI specification provided a practical methodology to baseline carbon emissions of the application, including embodied emissions and reducing the same."
ATTRIBUTION_NAME: Navveen Balani
ATTRIBUTION_TITLE: Managing Director, Chief Technologist
ORGANIZATION: Accenture
LOGO: Accenture
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HEADING: Validated by Academia and Industry
INTRO: The SCI specification is the only ISO-accredited carbon measurement standard for software, referenced in 15+ peer-reviewed papers and implemented by leading technology organizations worldwide.
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STAT_1: ISO/IEC 21031:2024 | LABEL: International Standard
STAT_2: 15+ Papers | LABEL: Peer-Reviewed Research
STAT_3: 10+ Organizations | LABEL: Enterprise Implementations
STAT_4: ACM & IEEE | LABEL: Published in Top Venues [END_VALIDATION_STATS]
[FEATURED_EXAMPLES]
EXAMPLE_1: Microsoft integrated SCI into Azure's official sustainability framework LINK_1: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/well-architected/sustainability/sustainability-design-methodology
EXAMPLE_2: "Measuring the Carbon Intensity of AI in Cloud Instances" (ACM FAccT 2022) LINK_2: https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3531146.3533234
EXAMPLE_3: ThoughtWorks global implementation guide LINK_3: https://www.thoughtworks.com/insights/blog/ethical-tech/calculating-software-carbon-intensity [END_FEATURED_EXAMPLES]
HEADING: Built for Every Role in Software
[AUDIENCE_TABS] TAB_1: Practitioners ICON: code CONTENT_1: Transform your daily work into climate action. The SCI score gives you a clear target for optimization - whether you're writing code, designing systems, or managing databases. See the immediate impact of your choices on your software's carbon footprint. Make efficiency improvements that matter both technically and environmentally. Join a global community of practitioners building the future of sustainable software.
TAB_2: Business Leaders ICON: briefcase CONTENT_2: Turn sustainability commitments into measurable business value. The SCI specification provides ISO-certified metrics that satisfy stakeholder demands, regulatory requirements, and corporate responsibility goals. Reduce operational costs through improved efficiency. Differentiate your products with verified sustainability credentials. Build trust with customers who increasingly choose partners based on environmental leadership.
TAB_3: Sustainability Teams ICON: leaf CONTENT_3: Finally, a standardized way to measure and report software's environmental impact. The SCI specification integrates seamlessly with existing sustainability frameworks while providing the technical depth needed for accurate carbon accounting. Track progress with confidence using ISO-accredited methodology. Compare solutions objectively. Drive organization-wide improvements with clear, actionable metrics that everyone can understand and act upon. [END_AUDIENCE_TABS]
[SECTION: RESOURCES]
HEADING: Everything You Need to Get Started
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[RESOURCE_CARD_1] ICON: document TITLE: The SCI Specification DESCRIPTION: Access the complete ISO/IEC 21031:2024 standard with technical methodology and implementation guidance LINK: https://sci.greensoftware.foundation CTA: Read the Spec [END_RESOURCE_CARD_1]
[RESOURCE_CARD_2] ICON: graduation-cap TITLE: Take the SCI Course DESCRIPTION: Master the SCI methodology step-by-step with our dedicated training launching Q4 2025 LINK: https://movement.greensoftware.foundation/collections/2996409 CTA: Take the SCI Course [END_RESOURCE_CARD_2]
[RESOURCE_CARD_3] ICON: message-circle TITLE: Ask Questions DESCRIPTION: Connect with the SCI community, get implementation help, and share your experiences LINK: https://github.com/Green-Software-Foundation/sci/discussions CTA: Join the Discussion [END_RESOURCE_CARD_3]
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HEADING: The Journey to Global Standard
[TIMELINE] STAGE_1: June 2021 | STATUS: COMPLETE | LABEL: "Vision Launched" STAGE_2: March 2022 | STATUS: COMPLETE | LABEL: "v1.0 Published" STAGE_3: April 2024 | STATUS: COMPLETE | LABEL: "ISO Accreditation Achieved" STAGE_4: October 2024 | STATUS: COMPLETE | LABEL: "v1.1 Released" STAGE_5: Q1 2025 | STATUS: COMPLETE | LABEL: "Dedicated SCI Course Launch" STAGE_6: 2025 | STATUS: | CURRENT I [END_TIMELINE]
[TEAM_SECTION] HEADING: Project Leadership
LEADS: [LEAD_1] NAME: Henry Richardson TITLE: Senior Analyst ORGANIZATION: WattTime LINKEDIN: https://linkedin.com/in/henryrichardson [END_LEAD_1]
[LEAD_2] NAME: Navveen Balani TITLE: Managing Director, Chief Technologist ORGANIZATION: Accenture LINKEDIN: https://linkedin.com/in/navveenbalani [END_LEAD_2]
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HEADING: About the Green Software Foundation
CONTENT: The SCI specification is developed and maintained by the Green Software Foundation (GSF), a nonprofit consortium under the Linux Foundation dedicated to building a future where software has zero harmful environmental impact. With steering members including Accenture, Avanade, BCG X, Cisco, Google, Microsoft, NTT Data, Siemens, and UBS, GSF creates trusted standards, tools, and education for sustainable software development.
Beyond the SCI specification, the foundation develops open-source tools like the Impact Framework and Carbon Aware SDK, and has trained over 130,000 practitioners in green software principles worldwide.
LEARN_MORE_LINK: Learn more about GSF →
LINK: https://greensoftware.foundation/manifesto
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