Is Sustainability Changing the Way We Build Software?

Sustainability is an essential aspect of our modern era, as it improves the quality of our lives, protects our ecosystem and preserves natural resources for future generations. But what does it have to do with software? Well, due to sustainability, people have different tendencies to live their lives and this directly impacts how we do business — leading us to our point of interest, building software for new purposes or in different manners.

In businesses of all kinds and in governmental institutions, the importance of sustainability and green technology is rising. The appeal of innovations in sustainability is obvious; the prospect of raising profits while raising people's quality of living and reducing environmental harm almost sounds like a pipe dream. Although these are long-term objectives, there is no disputing the advancement we may be able to make thanks to technological developments.

The fundamental principle of sustainable business is to develop and function without causing harm to the environment, the economy, or society. Even one of these three objectives involves long-term planning and taking into account a vast number of variables and impacts. For instance, a corporation must first determine which procedures are harming the environment and to what extent, in order to reduce its negative ecological impact.

From an economic perspective, sustainability is rather simple: it produces growth over the long term, which is a goal that businesses automatically pursue. The idea of preserving resources in the economic system for as long as feasible is central to the circular economy concept. In software, this translates to building solutions that can lead to using fewer resources, encouraging a smaller carbon footprint and pursuing more digital activities. These are the main software building actions for a sustainable future, which we’ll further detail in this article:

1. Digital Health Solutions

On top of the overall mission of healthcare, which fits perfectly with the one of sustainability, digital health solutions can meet more sustainable purposes such as:

Minimizing the use of resources by improving the doctor-patient flow We’ve mentioned this before - that digital solutions in healthcare can reduce costs both for clients and for clinics, but now we’re addressing the use of resources and how they lead to more sustainable endeavours.

Most of the medical interventions are not urgent, and with a better doctor-patient flow, where they can stay in touch and have a real-time update on both the patient’s symptoms and preventions, many clinic/hospital resources can be avoided, not to mention the transportation, by resolving not urgent matters remote.

2. Fintech

The globe is evolving toward sustainable economic models, which by 2030 could generate $12 trillion in annual economic potential. Fintech, or financial technology, can assist businesses in assessing and reducing their environmental effect and investors in directing their investments toward more environmentally friendly assets through technologies like advanced data analytics, blockchain, or artificial intelligence.

Innovation and a positive impact on sustainability have always been central to Fintech’s fundamental traits. The contribution of fintech to the development of policies targeted at the transition to a low-carbon society is rightly acknowledged by regulators and policymakers. The following are a few unusual use cases in the field of green and sustainable finance:

• Financial inclusion
• Lower costs of delivery
• Encourage environmentally friendly buying habits

Build Greener with Sensidev

Do you want to contribute to a better environment and drive digital solutions for the better? Contact us and let’s build your sustainable idea for the future!