Blog: Sustainable Software Development
It is estimated that the IT industry is responsible for around 2% of global CO2 emissions - roughly equivalent to air traffic emissions. The power requirements of the IT industry have increased exponentially in recent years as more and more devices and applications are put into operation. The trend toward cloud computing and data centers has also contributed to a significant increase in energy consumption.
The familiar concepts of Usability (UI) and User Experience (UX) focus on designing digital products and services in such a way that they are easy and intuitive to use while offering users a positive experience. This is primarily about improving and optimizing design and interaction features. Inclusive UX goes beyond this and aims to design digital products in such a way that they are accessible and usable for all users, regardless of their individual skills, cultural backgrounds or technological knowledge.
The term "sustainability" originates from forestry and was first coined by Hans Carl von Carlowitz in the 18th century. Carlowitz was a Saxon forestry official and aimed to design forest use in such a way that it would be possible in the long term. He recognized that uncontrolled logging of the forest would lead to the destruction of the forest ecosystem and thus affect the timber industry.
