The Green Software Foundation (GSF) and World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) are proud to announce their collaboration to advance sustainable web development through shared research, standards development, and measurement frameworks, with a key focus on developing the SCI for Web standard.
The GSF is a 501(c)(6) non-profit building a trusted ecosystem of knowledge, tooling, and best practices to reduce the environmental impacts of software. W3C is an international public-interest non-profit organization that brings together global stakeholders to develop open standards that enable a World Wide Web that connects and empowers humanity. This collaboration was brokered by GSF member Green Web Foundation, who are active members in both communities.
What the Collaboration Between GSF and W3C Means for Green Software
"Almost all of us use the web daily, and like everything else, we need to make using it more sustainable. By defining a standard for measuring website emissions, we make it easier for people to request greener digital services, for responsible technologists to build them, and to reach the fossil-free internet we all need".
This collaboration marks a significant step toward making web sustainability measurement a standard practice across the industry.
By combining GSF's expertise in software carbon measurement with W3C's global reach in web standards, we provide access to practical tools and specifications for measuring and reducing the environmental impact of the web to practitioners worldwide. The collaboration aims to make sustainability considerations an integral part of web development, just like accessibility and performance are today.
A Closer Look at the Collaboration on SCI for Web
The organizations will work together on the development, refinement, and adoption of the SCI for Web specification, as well as related educational materials and tooling.
GSF will manage the SCI for Web specification through its consensus-driven process, while W3C's Sustainable Web Interest Group will provide valuable feedback and insights. This structured approach includes:
Regular knowledge sharing between GSF's SCI for Web project team and W3C's Web Sustainability Interest Group to align on best practices and measurement methodologies
Development of training materials that will help practitioners understand and implement web sustainability measurements
Creation of Impact Framework templates and plugins to simplify SCI for Web calculations and disclosures
Mutual support in promoting the adoption of sustainable web development practices across the global practitioner community
Building on Our Values
Both organizations share a commitment to transparency, open standards, and democratizing access to technology. This collaboration embodies these values by ensuring that web sustainability measurement tools and standards are developed openly, with input from diverse stakeholders, and made freely available worldwide.
By working together, GSF and W3C are creating a foundation for a more sustainable digital future where environmental impacts are considered at every stage of web development.
Next Steps and Get Involved
This agreement was established under the joint leadership of the Software Standards Working Group at the Green Software Foundation (GSF) and the Web Sustainability Interest Group of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and shall be governed by designated member representatives and their respective executive committees.
For GSF members: Applications for the SCI for Web assembly close on September 12, 2025. Apply here.
The assembly will start on September 16, 2025.
To follow future announcements about the SCI for Web standard, visit: https://assemblies.greensoftware.foundation/sci-for-web
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