Green DiSC: a Digital Sustainability Certification

Scientific computing is responsible for a substantial proportion of research-related emissions, yet it has remained difficult for academic groups to assess the carbon footprint of their digital actions. To address this, the Cambridge Sustainable Computing Lab produced Green DiSC: a free, open-access certification scheme which provides a roadmap for research groups, computing teams, and institutions who want to tackle the environmental impacts of their computing activities. Launched in 2024, Green DiSC was created after realising that no certification previously existed for digital research. It has grown quickly to over a hundred enrolled groups and central teams across the UK, Europe, and Australia on the road towards certification.

The scheme is evidence-based, iterative, and community-centred. It is designed to be completed by anyone working in research, across any domain. There are three levels of certifications: Bronze, Silver and Gold, and three sets of criteria for research groups, research computing infrastructure teams, and central (sustainability) teams.

Learn more about how the scheme works and how to get involved on the website, or contact the team at info@greendisc.org. You can also check out the open-access criteria on GitHub.