I recently had the pleasure of hosting our first Sustainable Bytes event as part of the Leeds Digital Festival and it was fab. We had some lively discussions delving into the intersection of technology and sustainability. I wanted to share some of the fascinating discussions and insights that emerged during the session. 

Embracing the Green Tech Revolution:

One of the intriguing topics at Sustainable Bytes was the debate on whether Green Tech truly exists. We pondered over what it encompasses and how it can shape the future of our technological landscape. One area we talked about some companies that are providing greener solutions in the tech space, such as https://krystal.uk/, which use solar, wind and the sea as methods to power their services. This is a growing area and one that will no doubt grow in the coming years.

The group shared some resources (see the bottom of the page), which included the thought-provoking book “Status Anxiety” by Alain de Botton. It sheds light on the implications of our technological choices on the environment.  

Data and AI:

During our discussion, we talked about the importance of handling data responsibly. Kelly Weston from The Data City told us the amount of data that we replicate. This includes copying from somewhere else, storing multiple versions of the same document or forwarding attachments to large distribution groups, to name a few, far outways the amount of new data we choose to store on our work and personal devices.

We also chatted about the amount of data that AI relies on and how we can balance its functionalities with sustainable practices.

A few handy resources suggested to the group were a talk given by Michelle Barker. Here’s a link for anyone interested (https://heypresents.com/talks/building-a-greener-web) and the book “Sustainable Web Design” by Tom Greenwood.  

One thing I loved about the session was the amount of sharing that was starting of resources to come through as part of the discussions.  

Striking the Balance: Functionality and Sustainability:

A significant point of discussion revolved around the necessary trade-offs between functionality and sustainability in the realm of business and technology. One example specifically was around mobile phones ( Fairphone used as an example) and other similar products available, which are trying to find the sweet spot of functionality, environmental impact, aesthetics, technology and price all in one.

In a follow-up question, we asked how much of an importance is put on consumers. Are we looking at them to make decisions that align with their sustainability values /goals without compromising on key features? Our discussions emphasised the need for a paradigm shift, encouraging businesses to consider the environmental implications of their tech. Do they need to be thinking about the full lifecycle of their products, should things be easier to repair or refurbish, just as much as their functional benefits. 

Takeaways and my final thought:

When it came to the end of the session, I must admit, that I felt like I was chatting amongst peers that I’d known for much longer than 2 hours. No matter their backgrounds, everyone shared common interests, respectfully disagreed on some topics and shared some great personal insights.

Finding like-minded people who are all passionate about making some change in their walk of life is a great feeling. What was also great to see, was the number of people who wanted to attend the session, there was just not a room big enough to get everyone in, but I do hope we can host another Sustainable Bytes event in the future to carry on these types of discussions, sharing and learnings. 

It was a great day!

Other resources: 

1.  Valuable sustainability training offered by IEMA (https://www.techbuyer.com/uk/sustainability/iema-sustainability-training)

2. The insightful course on digital footprint management from Coursera (https://www.coursera.org/learn/digital-footprint/home/info).  

3. Additionally, we discovered websites like Solidaritech (https://solidaritech.com/), which provide valuable information on sustainable practices in the tech industry. 
4. One for the reading list “Status Anxiety” https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/alain-de-botton/status-anxiety/9780141014869?cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=19553275652&cq_con=&cq_med=pla&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA0syqBhBxEiwAeNx9N4rF7ABbiyWE-D-FbzMG6CJSry2-KRL-TQjSwoOKCQVZSFLjJD0moBoCBGIQAvD_BwE#GOR001296225

If any of this is up your street and you’d like to have a chat more do get in touch!