Regular readers might see the words “sustainability” and “OSOR” and think of the Guidelines for Sustainable Open Source Communities in the Public Sector. Following our recent webinar and call for feedback, these Guidelines are in the process of being updated. Didn’t get a chance to share your thoughts? There’s still time to contribute. On the note of sustainability, OSOR set out this month to explore how open source impacts a different kind of sustainability: that of our environment.
The connection between open source and sustainability might not be immediately apparent. What does software have to do with the sustainability of our planet? Yet, when examined more thoroughly, it becomes clear that both concepts have shared working mechanisms.
Environmental sustainability today is fundamentally about reducing resource consumption through the reuse of materials. Some well-known examples are recycling waste, circular economy and upcycling. Similarly, one of the main characteristics of open source software is that it leverages existing components. Reuse is a necessity for environmental sustainability. This doesn’t only apply to the physical resources of our planet, but also to the limited human and capital ones that are available to develop software solutions. What better way to tackle a global, shared challenge like the climate crisis than by following the open source way: through collaboration and the sharing of information.
That is what the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation did when its Department of Forestry initiated the development of Open Foris, a set of open source software solutions to help countries measure, monitor and report on forest and land use. The aim is to improve climate change mitigation plans and create better informed land-use policies. The UN is working with many public and private organisations on this project, including ministries in Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Norway, Thailand and Tunisia, companies such as Google and universities from around the world. Read OSOR’s report.
Conversely, open source software and the part it plays in the digital transformation also leave a carbon footprint. The Nordic Institute for Interoperable Solutions (NIIS) set out to learn how their software X-Road is impacting the environment and found that nearly 96% of CO2 emissions were caused by servers. Read the story for more takeaways.
Open source software can also be used to gather other environmental data. Take, for instance, Green City Watch. Since 2018, they have been collaborating with more than 30 cities to help them evaluate their sustainability using open source geospatial technologies. Read the story for more details about how Green City Watch is regenerating cities and revolutionising the way in which green spaces are valued.
Ensuring the sustainability of our planet is a shared responsibility. Open source software is just one way in which you can contribute and make a meaningful difference through a shared task with shared benefits.
The OSOR Team
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