Welcome to the Green Software Foundation!

Published: 2021-11-17 13:55:51

**Our Mission**
The Green Software Foundation is a non-profit with the mission to create a trusted ecosystem of people, standards, tooling, and best practices for building green software. 

*Please [read this article](https://greensoftware.foundation/articles/what-is-green-software) to understand what we mean by green software.*

The Foundation has been created for people who are in the business of building software. We are tasked with giving them answers about what they can do to reduce the software emissions they are responsible for.

We create trust if the Foundation represents a diverse mix of organizations. We welcome non-profits, for-profits, and academia and have members across all sectors and across the globe. 

**How we are structured**
We are a [non-profit 501(c)(3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501(c)(3)_) organization registered in the United States and are part of the [Linux Foundation] (https://linuxfoundation.org/).

We have four Working Groups focusing on different parts of our mission statement:

**Standards**
* Develop a series of baseline specifications for Green Software. 
* Ensure that the specifications can be implemented interoperably on the computing platforms in widespread use in both developed and developing regions.

**Innovation**
* Direct open-source, open-data, and academic research in areas that advance the field of Green Software.
* Sponsor key open-source and open-data projects to build the confidence they will be supported and maintained for the long term.

**Community** 
* Facilitate broad adoption of Green Software standards and best practices by creating partnerships, content, events, and programs.
* Ensure diverse participation of stakeholders in the development and implementation of Green Software.

**Trademark**
* Ensure the Foundation's trademarks are being used correctly and in a context that doesn't diminish the Foundation's value.
* Define guidance regarding when, how, and in what context the Foundation's trademarks can be used.

We also have a [Steering Committee] (http://greensoftware.foundation/#steering-members) that works to set the overall direction and strategy of the Foundation.

To find out more details about our different membership levels and joining the Foundation, please visit the [join us] (https://greensoftware.foundation/join-us) section of our website.

**How we function**
The Foundation functions via consensus. We work hard to reach an agreement on outputs so we can speak with one voice.

Working groups meet and discuss projects they want to deliver and organize into teams to deliver those projects. You can see a [list of our current projects here] (https://greensoftware.foundation/projects).

We value fairness. Every working group member has a voice, and we encourage members to use it. For example, suppose in a meeting you are unhappy with a change to a deliverable. In that case, you have the right to object, the working group will discuss your objection and make adjustments so everyone can reach a consensus again.

If consensus cannot be reached, the working group may decide to vote. In the Foundation, each organization has one vote, so whether you are a non-profit with 10 employees or a corporate with 100,000 employees, you both hold the same weight in votes.

**What our Steering Committee Members say**
Read about our Steering Committee members, what they say about working with the Foundation and their thoughts on the future of green software.

[Accenture](https://greensoftware.foundation/articles/meet-our-steering-committee-accenture) | [GitHub] (https://greensoftware.foundation/articles/meet-our-steering-committee-github) | [Globant] (https://greensoftware.foundation/articles/meet-our-steering-committee-globant) | [Microsoft] (https://greensoftware.foundation/articles/meet-our-steering-committee-microsoft) | [NTT Data] (https://greensoftware.foundation/articles/meet-our-steering-committee-ntt-data) | [Thoughtworks] (https://greensoftware.foundation/articles/meet-our-steering-committee-ntt-data)