A view of the sustainable computing landscape.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40926963.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.patter.2025.101296 and PMC identifier 12416076.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
This article presents a holistic research agenda to address the significant environmental impact of information and communication technology (ICT), which accounts for 2.1%-3.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It proposes several research thrusts to achieve sustainable computing: accurate carbon accounting models, life cycle design strategies for hardware, efficient use of renewable energy, and integrated design and management strategies for next-generation hardware and software systems. If successful, the research would flatten and reverse growth trajectories for computing power and carbon, especially for rapidly growing applications like artificial intelligence. The research takes a holistic approach because strategies that reduce operational carbon may increase embodied carbon, and vice versa. Achieving these goals will require interdisciplinary collaboration between computer scientists, electrical engineers, environmental scientists, and economists.