Is Software Carbon-Efficiency a Form of Greenwashing?

What is it about?

You might feel that focusing on carbon-efficiency in software can be misleading because it doesn’t always cut overall emissions. The real goal should be to reduce total carbon in the atmosphere, not just make each unit of software “greener.” However, increasing efficiency isn’t automatically greenwashing. It can guide you toward practical improvements—using less energy or timing your usage when energy is clean—while still being transparent about whether your total emissions actually go down. By measuring both how efficient you are and how much carbon you use overall, you avoid the trap of boasting about small gains while ignoring the bigger picture.

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Why is it important?

You might want to read this article because it shows how simply making software “carbon-efficient” isn’t enough to tackle the climate crisis if you ignore total emissions. It addresses the risk of greenwashing, explains why both efficiency and overall totals matter, and explores how good standards can prevent misleading claims. If you’re curious about balancing practical steps with the big picture, it’s worth your time.

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