The further the digital transformation progresses, the larger the ecological footprint of IT becomes. Sustainability efforts by platform operators, software providers and IT service providers start internally: employees use resource-saving hardware, devices are refurbished instead of new. Applications are developed using renewable energies on cloud systems in climate-neutral data centers, which also use waste heat from the servers and reduce the number of servers through cloud computing and virtualization. Green coding principles help in the development process to program applications and algorithms so that they run as energy-efficiently as possible. Elements include a lean architecture, resource-saving compression and file formats or efficient on-demand computing and data transactions.

The greatest leverage for software and IT services lies in the applications themselves: Digital solutions are key in all areas of transformation towards a sharing economy, more climate protection and a functioning circular economy.

Software helps to intelligently link energy, networks and storage and bring together supply and demand so that the energy transition is successful. Apps, software or IT-supported big data analyzes make new mobility solutions such as car sharing, route optimization or traffic flow control, but also video conferences and home offices possible, thereby saving millions of tons of CO2 in commuting and travel. In companies, IT service providers help their customers to make resource- and energy-intensive processes in production, logistics and administration more sustainable. Software drives transformation by gathering audit data about supply chains, calculating companies’ carbon footprints or creating digital product passports. Software and IT services reach billions of people cost-effectively via the Internet and enable the transfer of knowledge and technology – including on the topics of transformation.

The industry includes, for example, software development, IT consulting, operation of data centers, hosting and web portals, and other IT services.