Green IO Newsletter - January 2026
Building a greener digital world, one byte at a time
Hello responsible technologist!
Happy New Year to all you wonderful responsible technologists! As we kick off 2026, I’d like to share with you a glimpse of what you can expect in 2026 from us.
Our dual mission remains the same: on one hand helping as many technologists as possible kick-start their sustainability journeys, even when facing massive headwinds. On the other hand, we want Green IO to be the place where seasoned “responsible techies" can learn, test new ideas, share with peers, and—most importantly—have some fun.
We also want to keep the spotlight on the people who actually deserve it. Let’s be real: the world doesn't need another $1bn AI startup focused on mimicking cats and coaching them to become step-dancers on American Idol. We’re here for the real impact, which is why our listener and attendee numbers aren’t just "vanity metrics"—they are the core of our project's reach. In the same spirit, our values are not just for posters at the coffee machine, but what drives how we do things by respecting our Planet, People and Science.
The Podcast: Going Visual (and Weekly)
2025 was an incredible year, with a 90% increase in listeners and our second year of maintaining a gender-balanced guest list. In 2026, we are aiming for "more, better, and wider":
Video Content: More and more of our episodes will be video-first. It might sound insane, but we are being penalized by platforms for only offering audio. To reach our audience, we have to play by the rules of their game and be where the newcomers in the field are, which includes YouTube of course.
Going Weekly: During the first semester, we are aiming to progressively achieve a weekly release schedule.
Wider Topics: Thanks to our new weekly frequency, we’ll expand beyond “pure Green IT” to cover the broader sustainability landscape, still with a main focus on Tech.
New Formats: While we’ll keep the long-form interviews you love, we are testing new ways to share insights and feedback.
To make this happen, I needed more means and I’ve been lucky to strike a deal with our first podcast sponsor: Resilio. I have been reluctant to monetize the podcast until now but I decided to take the leap by selecting only partners which products I either use or support. As a direct result, I’ve hired a seasoned podcast producer - Russel Baker - so I can focus more on content and less on the production side—where I still have so much to learn!
The Conferences: Scaling with local community support
With 1,600+ attendees last year across all 5 locations - including 2 new ones: Munich and NYC - our conferences are now established in the Tech Sustainability landscape. Thanks to growing turnout and sponsor support, 2026 is looking even bigger:
New Destination: Join us as we add Amsterdam to our map on June 9th and 10th!
Art & Well-being: We’ll try to bring art performances to all our events. Sustainability work can take a toll on mental health, and these "respirations" are essential for our well-being.
A cautious and science-based opening on “Tech for Good” topics: We’ll explore a bit more 'Tech for Good' this year. How much? We’re talking about 1 or 2 talks per conference. Why? Because nature abhors a vacuum. If we don’t step up to cover this angle, we risk the narrative and assessment being hijacked solely by Big Tech and zealot techno-solutionist voices. It’s time to ensure the 'good' in tech is defined by those of us rooted in the real physical and systemic world.
Community Empowerment in practice: I’ve never pictured myself as a knight in shining armor (sorry, Aragorn). I’m more of a Gandalf—here to guide, facilitate, and maybe set off a few fireworks. Putting it differently, I’ve never considered myself as indispensable to host every Green IO conference. Thanks to better processes in place, we are starting to ramp-up local community empowerment. And, I'm honored that my friend Thibaut Meurgue-Guyard will host Green IO Singapore this year without me being physically there.
Looking Ahead
Our DNA is to "adapt and improvise," so I’m sure our plans will evolve by the time we look back in 2027. But for now, I am incredibly enthusiastic about this opportunity to scale and better serve our community of responsible technologists. Once again, thank you to everyone giving your time, energy, and resources to help this initiative grow. I wish a great year 2026 as we continue greening our world (digital or not), one byte at a time.
Gaël Duez
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What’s been happening lately in the Green IO community?
🎙️ Podcast episodes
#E72 Making Sustainability Easy to Discover with Chris Adams Listen
#E71 Successes and hurdles in manufacturing a sustainable smartphone with Agnes Crepet Listen (release date: Dec. 23rd)
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🎤 Green IO conferences in 2026
Got something to share? We welcome inspirational talks, new research, latest use cases, new tools … CFP are now open for all the 2026 Green IO conferences!
Singapore, April 14th - April 15th
A third edition focusing on “Intelligence with Intention“. Get an early bird ticket here.
New-York, May 13th - May 14th
“AI as a controversial force for sustainability“ is the theme of this second edition. Early bird tickets are available here.
Amsterdam, June 9th - June 10th
First conference in the Netherlands! Early bird tickets are available here.
Munich, July 8th - July 9th
"From measuring to achieving: industrializing IT Sustainability" will be discussed between experts and practitioners from all the DACH region. Early bird tickets are available here.
London, Sept. 30th - Oct. 1st
A bigger venue for the N°1 Green IT conference in the UK. Save the date! Early bird tickets will be available soon.
Paris, Dec. 1st - Dec 3rd
Expect another edition with a wide European line-up. Early bird tickets will be available soon.
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Do you want to volunteer at Green IO?
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# Couldn’t attend? # Listen # Watch # Read # Tools # Study # Participate # Attend
What else has popped up on our Tech & Sustainability radar?
Couldn’t attend….We’ve got it covered
Natallia Kachura gives an MC’s insider view from last month’s Green IO Paris 2025.
Listen… We’re all ears
What better way to start the year than an EV podcast : E126 with Sara Bergman explores what the shift to greener computing really looks like in practice. Tech Swamp’s latest podcast discusses the policy forecast for 2026, whilst Tech Won’t Save Us muses on re-imagining our relationship with digital tech. The Restart Project reminds us not to forget lost inventions, and that a crisis can be a powerful kick-starter for innovation. History can still teach us a thing or two about modern day life in the 21st century…And, finally, mixing a little of the pro with the personal, The Screenagers podcast dives into the tricky world of teens and screens, offering advice for any parent/guardian on how to negotiate managing tech use at home.
# Read… Our coffee-break reading this month
After a politically charged start to the year (and it’s only January), federal law in the US is tethered, as Trump blocks states from enforcing their own AI regulations. And the ‘will it - won’t it’ debate continues on the potential bursting of the AI bubble. Plus, the WEF has published its Global Risks Report 2026, where adverse outcomes of AI tech, extreme weather events, geopolitical instability, misinformation /disinformation, cyber security are all listed in the top 10 risks likely to trigger a material global crisis… That makes an awful lot of interrelated issues impacting the tech sector.
On the bright side of things, the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) has just launched a new supercomputer in Sønderborg which “combines more sustainable energy management and advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities…. all in a secure, open-source and sovereign environment”. And for some good ideas on how to turn environmental data into practical actions, check out this summary paper from the UK Government Digital Sustainability Alliance (GDSA), covering scope-3 reporting.
# Tools… Skill-up for a sustainable future
The Green Web Foundation has kicked off 2026 with a release of Carbon.Txt v0.4, and in case you missed it in December, their detailed roadmap for changing to SWDM v4 as default.
# Participate…
The GHG Protocol is finally updating the rules for how the world counts "green" energy. Have your say on what you think of the new rules for Scope 2 guidance (end date January 31 2026) via the public consultation process.
And a heads-up for the Digital Clean Up day on March 31 2026. Get involved on an individual basis or at an organizational level.
# Attend… Meet fellow responsible technologists
VOXXED DAYS Amsterdam, 1 -2 April 2026, Amsterdam (NLD)
FOSDEM 2026, 31 Jan- 1 Feb 2026, Brussels (BEL)
World Impact Summit, 5-6 Feb 2026, Paris (FRA)
IEEE GreenTech, 25-27 March 2026, Boulder, Colorado (USA)
ICSE & Greens‘26, 12-18 April 2026, Rio De Janeiro (BRA)
Hack Summit, 22-23 April 2026, Lausanne (SUI)
The Paris Conference (AI & digital ethics) 11-12 June, Paris (FRA)
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One last positive thought!
The much awaited MIT Technology Review 2026 has been published. The Editorial team has carefully researched and selected the innovations to watch out for over the coming year, what will drive progress, and what will bring about lasting change within industry or our lives in general. Very techno-optimist but still worth reading to spot potential future benefits of Tech.
You just read issue #59 of Green IO. You can also browse the full archives of this newsletter.
