Green Computing: Accelerating Low‑Carbon Digital Transformation and Talent Development in China

Author: Dr. Zhong Weijun, Technical Director at China Electronics Standardization Institute.

We are in an era of rapid technological change—big data, cloud computing, AI, 5G—driving a third wave of informationization characterized by deep data mining and intelligent applications, pushing many traditional industries into the deep water of digital transformation.

Data shows that 55% of Chinese enterprises have not completed basic digital equipment upgrades; they need lower‑cost, easy‑to‑use compute facilities to reduce IT costs and accelerate transformation, prompting a call for higher‑efficiency, low‑energy computing technologies.

China has set carbon‑peak by 2030 and carbon‑neutrality by 2060, making green, low‑carbon development a national priority; under the dual opportunity of green and digital transformation, the green computing industry is poised for significant growth.

Green computing, a nascent concept, focuses on two technical routes: hardware‑centric energy saving (e.g., high‑efficiency chips, liquid‑cooling data centers) and software‑hardware co‑optimization that improves resource allocation and utilization to achieve energy‑saving and emission‑reduction goals.

Historically, research over‑relied on hardware energy‑saving, neglecting the huge low‑carbon potential of algorithmic optimization; as hardware efficiency gains plateau, the focus must shift to smarter resource distribution and software‑driven efficiency improvements.

Investing in foundational software technologies is crucial; several domestic tech companies have made notable progress, but the emerging industry also needs to awaken the broader engineering community to embed green computing concepts across the workforce.

At the end of 2022, under the guidance of the Green Computing Industry Alliance, Ant Group hosted the first Green Computing Competition, emphasizing system software, cloud‑native, and algorithm layers, attracting over 2,000 domestic and international university students and engineers, and serving as a platform to popularize green computing ideas.

Talent cultivation is the foundation for green computing industry development and successful digital transformation; since 2018, the Green Computing Alliance has held the "Green Cup" university competition, and Ant Group's event marks the first internet‑company‑hosted green computing contest, aiming to continuously nurture skilled practitioners.

Continued investment, innovation, and talent development, along with open collaboration and industry‑academia integration, are essential to fully popularize and apply green computing across China.