Charter aims to turn software green

Software developers are being offered the chance to earn a green ‘badge’ for their products.

Software developers who signed up will have to ensure that they adhere to the four principles set out by BASDA.

These include reducing carbon emissions in developing software, reducing operational emissions and to provide environmental advice on their websites.

Peter Robertshaw, co-chairman of the green special interest group set up by Basda earlier this year, said the charter will set the benchmark and standardise the industry for buyers purchasing products.

Robertshaw said: ‘The software industry has the ability to make change happen in terms of reducing a company’s carbon footprint and to develop the software and solutions that will account for the rest.’

The charter sets out four main principles that a software company must adhere to in order to use the charter logo on their products.

Companies must: strive to be more carbon efficient in their operations such as recycling, carbon offsetting and reducing waste among others; pledge to deliver software innovations that drive customers carbon efficiency; work with others to a common set of standards while sharing knowledge on ways to aid the rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the industry; and acknowledge BASDA and its members in the work they have done to increase awareness of the issues.

There are currently 28 companies that have signed up, including Version One, Access, Sage and Oracle to Sapphire, Qtac, OrderWise and Invu. Companies will have to re-register annually ­ but BASDA is currently not equipped to audit the companies that have signed up.

Robertshaw said: ‘We do not have audit capability as yet but we are in discussion with an organisation that might have the facility to audit. We are currently hoping that market pressure will force companies to adhere to the standards set.’

As this is new territory, companies that have signed up have up to three months to get in touch with Basda and supply the date at which they will be carbon efficient.