Software Engineering for Sustainability: Find the Leverage Points!

Birgit Penzenstadler; Leticia Duboc; Colin C. Venters; Stefanie Betz; Norbert Seyff; Krzsztof Wnuk; Ruzanna Chitchyan; Steve M. Easterbrook; Christoph Becker

doi:10.1109/MS.2018.110154908

Software Engineering for Sustainability: Find the Leverage Points!

Birgit Penzenstadler, Leticia Duboc, Colin C. Venters, Stefanie Betz, Norbert Seyff, Krzsztof Wnuk, Ruzanna Chitchyan, Steve M. Easterbrook, Christoph Becker

Research output: Indexed journal article › Review › peer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We as software engineers are responsible for the long-term consequences of the systems we design - including impacts on the wider environmental and societal sustainability. However, the field lacks analytical tools for understanding these potential impacts while designing a system or for identifying opportunities for using software to bring about broader societal transformations. This article explores how the concept of leverage points can be used to make sustainability issues more tangible in system design. The example of software for transportation systems illustrates how leverage points can help software engineers map out and investigate the wider system in which the software resides, such that we can use software as an effective tool for engineering a more sustainable world. This article is part of a theme issue on Process Improvement.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	22-33
Number of pages	12
Journal	IEEE Software
Volume	35
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/MS.2018.110154908
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2018
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

leverage points
software development
software engineering
sustainability

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10.1109/MS.2018.110154908

Cite this

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abstract = "We as software engineers are responsible for the long-term consequences of the systems we design - including impacts on the wider environmental and societal sustainability. However, the field lacks analytical tools for understanding these potential impacts while designing a system or for identifying opportunities for using software to bring about broader societal transformations. This article explores how the concept of leverage points can be used to make sustainability issues more tangible in system design. The example of software for transportation systems illustrates how leverage points can help software engineers map out and investigate the wider system in which the software resides, such that we can use software as an effective tool for engineering a more sustainable world. This article is part of a theme issue on Process Improvement.",

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AU - Seyff, Norbert

AU - Wnuk, Krzsztof

AU - Chitchyan, Ruzanna

AU - Easterbrook, Steve M.

AU - Becker, Christoph

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Software Engineering for Sustainability: Find the Leverage Points!

Abstract

Keywords

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