# About the Digital Sustainability category **URL:** \ **Category:** Digital Sustainability\ **Created:** [September 15, 2025, 6:52pm UTC](https://uknsr.discourse.group/t/about-the-digital-sustainability-category/12 "2025-09-15T18:52:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AnnaLewis-UoBristol](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/uknsr.discourse.group/annalewis-uobristol/32/8_2.png) [@AnnaLewis-UoBristol](https://uknsr.discourse.group/u/AnnaLewis-UoBristol)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2025, 6:52pm UTC](https://uknsr.discourse.group/t/about-the-digital-sustainability-category/12/1 "2025-09-15T18:52:52Z")
This category is for discussions on reducing the environmental impact of digital infrastructure and practices in research. It covers: - **HPC & Cloud Services** – energy and emissions from large-scale computing, cloud, and AI/ML workloads. - **End-user Devices & Lifecycle** – sustainable procurement, use, repair, and recycling of IT and AV equipment. - **Data Storage & Governance** – managing data, archiving, and governance in a sustainable way. - **Digital Behaviours** – researcher habits, defaults, and cultural change in digital practice. Digital Sustainability focuses on ICT, computing, and data. It complements _Energy Management & Equipment_ (labs and physical infrastructure) and _Reporting & Compliance_ (standards, metrics). ---
**Author:** ![MartinFarley-UKRI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b77776/32.png) [@MartinFarley-UKRI](https://uknsr.discourse.group/u/MartinFarley-UKRI)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 1:44pm UTC](https://uknsr.discourse.group/t/about-the-digital-sustainability-category/12/2 "2026-02-02T13:44:43Z")
Hi all, We’ve written a specification guide for including sustainability within the purchasing of digital research infrastructure or services. It’s been circulated to a group within UKRI, but I do plan on posting it publicly on SPARKHub. Before it goes live, would anyone want to review it? If so please write me and I’ll share the draft. This will go along other procurement specs which relate to research and can assist which we’ve drafted in UKRI (credit to Andrew Waggott for leading this work, but they’ll include waste and common equipment types). The aim of having common specs to work off is to help align how we engage suppliers on sustainability, but also make lives easier. Input welcome! ---
**Author:** ![ZoeHurley-UoBirmingham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/839c29/32.png) [@ZoeHurley-UoBirmingham](https://uknsr.discourse.group/u/ZoeHurley-UoBirmingham)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:54pm UTC](https://uknsr.discourse.group/t/about-the-digital-sustainability-category/12/3 "2026-02-02T15:54:34Z")
We are happy to share a view if helpful Martin - [z.l.hurley@bham.ac.uk](mailto:z.l.hurley@bham.ac.uk) ---
**Author:** ![MarceloSalierno-KCL](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/uknsr.discourse.group/marcelosalierno-kcl/32/23_2.png) [@MarceloSalierno-KCL](https://uknsr.discourse.group/u/MarceloSalierno-KCL)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 5:34pm UTC](https://uknsr.discourse.group/t/about-the-digital-sustainability-category/12/4 "2026-02-02T17:34:56Z")
Hi Martin, happy to circulate it with our procurement team and share feedback! ---
**Author:** ![AnnaLewis-UoBristol](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/uknsr.discourse.group/annalewis-uobristol/32/8_2.png) [@AnnaLewis-UoBristol](https://uknsr.discourse.group/u/AnnaLewis-UoBristol)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 10:34am UTC](https://uknsr.discourse.group/t/about-the-digital-sustainability-category/12/5 "2026-02-03T10:34:16Z")
Hi Martin, Bristol would like to feed in if possible, with input from IT, Sustainability and Procurement. @JamesDaly-UoBristol ---
**Author:** ![PoppyMarriott-LMB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e7dd6/32.png) [@PoppyMarriott-LMB](https://uknsr.discourse.group/u/PoppyMarriott-LMB)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 12:19pm UTC](https://uknsr.discourse.group/t/about-the-digital-sustainability-category/12/6 "2026-02-03T12:19:41Z")
Hi all, We are planning to advertise a Sustainability Officer role at the LMB. Just wondering if anyone had advice on good places to advertise for maximum exposure? Thanks, Poppy – Dr Poppy Marriott Scientific Services and Sustainability Manager MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Francis Crick Avenue Cambridge CB2 0QH Phone: 01223 26 7857 Mobile: 07411 030977 The MRC is part of UK Research and Innovation ---
**Author:** ![ZoeHurley-UoBirmingham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/839c29/32.png) [@ZoeHurley-UoBirmingham](https://uknsr.discourse.group/u/ZoeHurley-UoBirmingham)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 2:03pm UTC](https://uknsr.discourse.group/t/about-the-digital-sustainability-category/12/7 "2026-02-03T14:03:20Z")
Hi Poppy - I got the most response from LinkedIn when we advertised for our positions … Zoe ---
**Author:** ![ClareCollins-UoHull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@ClareCollins-UoHull](https://uknsr.discourse.group/u/ClareCollins-UoHull)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2026, 2:14pm UTC](https://uknsr.discourse.group/t/about-the-digital-sustainability-category/12/8 "2026-02-04T14:14:08Z")
Hi Martin, [chris.collins@hull.ac.uk](mailto:chris.collins@hull.ac.uk) might be able to contribute some thoughts if you share with him, he has recently been involved in the procurement process for sustainable large digital research infrastructure. Cheers, Clare ---
**Author:** ![RajnikaHirani-Crick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/47e85d/32.png) [@RajnikaHirani-Crick](https://uknsr.discourse.group/u/RajnikaHirani-Crick)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 10:26am UTC](https://uknsr.discourse.group/t/about-the-digital-sustainability-category/12/9 "2026-02-05T10:26:07Z")
Hey Martin, The Crick will be happy to review too. Let me know when this is likely to come to use for review. Many thanks, Rajnika ---
**Author:** ![MartinFarley-UKRI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b77776/32.png) [@MartinFarley-UKRI](https://uknsr.discourse.group/u/MartinFarley-UKRI)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 12:32pm UTC](https://uknsr.discourse.group/t/about-the-digital-sustainability-category/12/10 "2026-02-10T12:32:10Z")
Many thanks all - Will send the updated copy now directly to all who kindly put their hands up. Much appreciated!