3.21 Align Technical Requirements With Sustainability Goals

Every product or service is different, and each will require a different set of tooling to accomplish the most sustainable result. Deciding whether to go with a bulky framework, Static Site Generator (SSG), or a Content Management System (CMS) takes careful planning based on client or service requirements.

Criteria

Identify Requirements: Identify the requirements and from this, choose the implementation of the product or service. A simpler technological implementation may use more human resources but could have a smaller footprint. A prebuilt solution may use more system resources (and thereby produce more emissions upon render) but have a faster build-time (emitting less carbon during development).
Optimized Methodology: As a general rule, coding from scratch is the best-performing methodology (though if an existing solution is actively maintained, it may be better optimized than what you could produce). Therefore, use native components and file systems to a WYSIWYG editor or heavy framework, and be considerate of the impact of third-party solutions.
Static VS Dynamic: If choosing a code generation tool, use a Static Site Generator in preference to a bulky content management system. Because SSGs often start using a minimalist content entry format (like markdown) and all of the compilation is done before the website is uploaded, the emissions benefit comes from the server not having to place as much effort into serving pages (as they are static) for each visitor. In the case of a CMS, the dynamic nature of a site will involve additional computation (server-side processing) and bulkier libraries.
Expandability Considerations: Plugins, extensions, and themes have been carefully reviewed and selected to maximize interoperability, accessibility, and performance. They are regularly audited over time to ensure continued compatibility.
Interface Impact: All the components of the user-interface are the subject of special attention in terms of its sustainability impact while respecting accessibility and the performance of such components.

Impact

Medium

Effort

Medium

Benefits

Environmental:
Carefully considering long-term technology implications and taking the time to ensure they are optimized and efficiently utilized can help a team measurably reduce a product or service’s environmental impact over time, which will reduce overall emissions.
Security:
Maintaining a software product over time and ensuring that the only third-party products you use are critical, and your service improves security.
Privacy:
Prioritizing security and user privacy helps an organization better comply with current and emerging related legislation.
Accessibility:
Making assistive technologies a core part of project specifications from the beginning and throughout a product or service’s life-cycle improves access to information for people with disabilities.
Performance:
Avoiding unnecessary complexity in your infrastructure will increase the speed at which developers can work, but also reduce the overhead load of website performance, increasing the benefits relating to emission reduction.
Economic:
Avoiding tooling which may be overburdening the user-experience may have financial savings, especially if certain tooling has maintenance costs or fees for software usage.

GRI

materials: Medium
energy: Medium
water: Medium
emissions: Medium

Example

You can view a comparison of more performant (headless) content management systems or download the sustainability Figma Kit.

Resources

View the Guideline