My takeaways after 10 coffee chats with sustainability experts

I started navigating climate tech (particularly green software) last year when moving to the UK and haven’t looked back since. However, I sometimes find it overwhelming.

“We don’t have all solutions yet, but the journey to find them is where we are right now.” — Wilco Burggraaf

To help navigate this path, I reached out to 10 experts for a coffee chat. With their insights and advice for newcomers, here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Seeing the big picture

Similar to software development, working in sustainability emphasises a balance between broad knowledge and deep expertise. This is important as sustainability issues are rarely isolated. Environmental challenges like climate change, resource depletion are deeply intertwined with social issues like hyper consumerism, inequality.

For sustainable software, I’m a huge fan of the carbon awareness trend in which apps “do more when more energy comes from low carbon sources and do less when more energy comes from high carbon sources” (Green Software Foundation). However, after some conversations, I realised understanding the complexities of energy grid is crucial. Developers should focus on reducing overall electricity demand rather than getting bogged down in real-time carbon data of the grid. Hence, a more holistic approach to energy consumption in software development should be adopted. Also, software’s negative impacts go beyond CO2 emission.

Drawing on our understanding of the big picture, we could then specialise in a particular area: renewable energy, biodiversity, etc.

But which area should we pick?

2. Identifying high-impact areas

Many experts I talked to deeply care about carbon removal and biodiversity. For those looking to stand out, some recommend strategic incorporation of lucrative skills like green ops, data science, AI/ML to maximise our influence in climate tech.

My concern is that AI consumes huge amount of water and energy, but this doesn’t mean learning AI is bad. We need lots of research into how to make AI sustainable and ethical.

Acknowledging the direct impact of backend, AI in the field, but for now I continue to focus on UI work as “it can be far MORE influential on user behaviours and ultimately, the climate” (Mitchell).

3. Embracing sustainable lifestyle

Apart from working in climate tech, there’re many ways to incorporate sustainability into everyday life.

For example, I’m using apps like WhenToPlug to decide the ideal time to do energy-consuming chores. If you want to make a similar app, National Grid’s API is a good starting point.

Some software engineers choose renewable energy providers like Octopus and participate in energy-saving initiatives, such as “Savings Sessions,” a program encouraging users to reduce energy consumption during peak times to prevent coal power stations from being activated. Also, to minimise environmental impact, they virtualized hardware over physical machines, reducing the need for manufacturing new devices. Another interesting practice is using a Framework laptop, allowing easy component replacement, extending the device’s lifecycle and reducing e-waste. For server hosting, it’s recommended one should choose green hosting such as Hetzner’s datacenter in Finland, which operates entirely on wind and hydro power.

4. Driving changes within

“There’s always a way to do more!” — Mitchell

Mitchell provides a candid reflection on the challenges of driving sustainability within a company historically rooted in fossil fuels. He advocates for a holistic approach to sustainability, recognizing the vast and often ambiguous landscape of the field. His sharing helps me realise the possibility of driving changes from within. If our companies are not operating in climate tech, we can always take the initiative and start promoting a sustainable workplace.

“Don’t forget that you, as a person passionate about making a positive impact, can do so wherever you go. You can bring positive action, with your skills, to whatever company you might end up.” — Mitchell

5. The importance of community

The good thing is, we don’t have to navigate this path alone. Jonathan Bell (Sprout) underscores the significance of building a supportive network within the green tech community. By connecting with others who share the same mission, newcomers can find encouragement, resources, and collaborative opportunities that drive their projects forward.

Every great journey has to start somewhere. You can take the first step by:

• Going to meetups or reaching out to others in the industry
• Embracing collaborative opportunities like hackathons (Huddle Hive is quite beginner-friendly), even if they seem daunting.