Government Digital Sustainability Alliance (GDSA)
The Government Digital Sustainability Alliance (GDSA) brings together UK government, its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and digital supply chain, academics and third sector organisations, to drive progress on the sustainability of the UK governments ICT and digital estate.
Aims and objectives of the GDSA
Formed in 2022 by Chris Howes, Defra’s Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) and the UK government’s Senior Responsible Owner for Sustainable ICT, at COP 27. The alliance was established to improve digital sustainability outcomes for the UK government and its supply chain - and in so doing, support wider strategies, such as:
- the Greening Government Commitments,
- Net Zero Pathway
- UN Sustainable Development Goals
The alliance aims to collaborate between government, industry and academia:
- reduce the environmental impact of governments IT estate
- fostering the development of innovative and sustainable solutions
- practical guidance and recommendations
To achieve this aim, the objectives of the GDSA are:
- identify key risks and opportunities in the procurement and operation of governments ICT estate which support sustainable digital practices
- develop and promote best practice, solutions, tools and guidance for tackling strategic challenges and utilising opportunities to make progress on the issue
- support the work of the UK government in this area by providing expertise and feedback when required to support policy and strategy development
About the GDSA
In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to legislate to reach net zero by 2050 and has committed to achieve an 81% cut in its emissions by 2035.
As technology becomes more important to our nation’s ability to decarbonise, both as part of the solution and a risk, the GDSA needs to work together to drive change. This includes focusing on innovative and practical problem solving within digital and ICT supply chains.
GDSA members will work together to identify and review risks and opportunities, problem solve and deliver guidance and recommendations to government on digital sustainability practices. These practices can be implemented in the government’s own ICT and digital estate to reduce environmental impacts in line with the Greening government: ICT and digital services strategy 2020 to 2025.
GDSA working groups
To help achieve its aims and objectives, the GDSA has 4 established working groups:
- Circular Economy
- Scope 3 Emissions
- Planetary Impact
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The working groups provide guidance and expertise to the government and public sector in these topic areas. This can help reduce environmental impacts from their own ICT and digital estate.
The chairs of the working groups sit on the GDSA Governance Group which reports into the Cross-Government Digital Sustainability Steering Group.
You can review the guidance and recommendations for the government produced by the working groups in the Reports section.
Current GDSA member organisations
We are delighted to share our GDSA members:
- Accenture
- Adisa Global
- Atos
- AWS
- BT
- Cambridge University Press and Assessment
- Capgemini
- Carbon3IT Ltd
- CGI
- Charsfield Research and Advisory (CRANDA)
- Circular Computing
- Circularity First
- Cisco
- Closing the loop
- Cognizant
- Computacenter
- Dell
- University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science
- DICE+
- DXC
- Equal Experts
- Eviden
- Fortinet
- Fujitsu
- Global Electronics Council
- Go Code Green
- Green Pixie
- Green Web Foundation
- Hitachi Solutions
- HPE
- IBM
- Interact DC
- KA2
- Kainos
- Kyndryl
- Leidos
- Liverpool University
- London Southbank University
- Loosingthewires
- Microsoft
- N2S
- Nottingham University
- NTT Data
- Opencast Software
- P2ZERO
- Phoenix Software
- Posetiv Cloud
- Royal Academy of Engineering
- Royal Society
- Scott Logic
- SE Recycling
- ServiceNow
- Softcat
- Sopra Steria
- Specialist Computer Centres
- Stone Technologies
- Sun Screen IT
- TCO Development
- TD Synnex
- Techbuyer
- TechUK
- Telent
- Transform UK
- University of Nottingham
- University of Southampton
- Valtech
- Vodafone
- Wipro
- Xerox
- Zühlke Engineering
Terms of Reference
Reports
Barriers to Circularity Recommendations Paper
This paper details how we can create a better, more sustainable future, by realising a circular economy, including recommendations to government and the public sector on how to achieve this.
Blog
Read blogs from GDSA members, as well as updates on digital sustainability across government on the UK Government Sustainable ICT blog.
Contact
For questions on the GDSA or if you would like to apply to join, email sustainableict@defra.gov.uk