GREENER Principles for Sustainable Computing
In 2023, SIG member Loïc Lannelongue published the article “GREENER principles for environmentally sustainable computational science” which outlines a framework to reduce the environmental impact of scientific computing. The principles provide a structure which can help the research community to take meaningful steps toward reducing the environmental footprint of computational science.
The principles cover the following topics: Governance, Responsibility, Estimation, Energy and embodied impacts, New collaborations, Education and Research.
Using these principles as a foundation, we extended this idea with a focus on the RSE role; draft GREENER principles for RSEs were presented during a community event at RSECon24 and voted on Read the blog here
The Origional GREENER Principles
Each letter in GREENER stands for a core principle:
1. G – Governance
All actors in computational research have a key role to play and can lead the efforts towards sustainable computing.
2. R – Responsibility
Embracing both individual and institutional responsibility regarding the environmental impacts of research. This involves being transparent about these and initiating bold initiatives to reduce them.
3. E – Estimation
Monitoring environmental impacts to identify ineficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
4. E – Energy and Emboddied Impacts
Minimizing energy needs of computations and favoring low-carbon energy sources, while also considering the broader environmental impacts (e.g. water usage, mining of raw materials etc.).
5. N – New Collaborations
Cooperating to leverage low-carbon infrastructures, facilitate equitable access to lowcarbon computation and limit wasted resources.
6. E – Education
Training all stakeholders to be aware of the sustainability challenges of HPC and to be equipped with the skills to tackle them.
7. R – Research
Dedicate research efforts to green computing to improve our understanding of power usage, support sustainable software engineering and enable energy-efficient research.
Green Principles for RSE
Ranked in terms of:
- Most Important Practice: High-impact actions that could substantially reduce the environmental impact of research.
- Easiest Practice to Implement: Quick wins—practical, low-effort changes that support greener outcomes.
The table below shows the draft sustainability principles, including the percentage of votes for importance and ease, along with a combined rank based on importance (%) × ease (%).
🧩 Governance
All actors in computational research have a key role to play and can lead efforts towards sustainable computing.
- RSEs should be represented in central sustainability meetings
- RSEs should be part of grassroots sustainability initiatives
- Funding applications for software projects and RSEs should include a sustainability component
- RSEs as a bridge between scientists, infrastructure, and sustainability offices
🧑⚖️ Responsibility
Embracing individual and institutional responsibility for environmental impacts, with transparency and bold action.
- RSEs have responsibility for the environmental impact of their projects
- Sustainability should be formally part of some/all RSEs job descriptions
- RSEs should be the primary advocates for sustainable software
- RSEs should acknowledge and communicate software’s environmental impact
📊 Estimation
Monitoring environmental impacts to identify inefficiencies and improvements.
- RSEs should track the energy use of their software
- RSEs should enable continuous monitoring of energy usage by researchers
- RSEs should develop consistent methodologies for estimating energy use
⚡ Energy and Embodied Impacts
Reduce energy use and prioritize low-carbon sources, including hardware lifecycle impacts.
- RSEs can time computations to coincide with renewable energy availability
- RSEs should consider the embodied carbon footprint in hardware purchases
- RSEs should influence institutional purchasing strategies with sustainability in mind
🤝 New Collaborations
Enable sharing of low-carbon infrastructures and reduce resource waste.
- RSE networks should share green computing best practices across institutions
- RSEs should facilitate the sharing of computing facilities
🎓 Education
Ensure all stakeholders are equipped with knowledge and tools for sustainable computing.
- RSEs should be trained in green computing best practices -
- RSEs should train and educate researchers on greener computing
🔬 Research
Invest in green computing research to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.
- More RSEs should be involved in green computing research