Green by default: getting started with the W3C Web Sustainability Guidelines

About the Event

The W3C Web Sustainability Guidelines (WSG) are an actionable, evidence-based framework for designing and developing digital services that are better for people and the planet. Covering UX, web development, hosting, and business strategy, they offer a concrete route to reducing the environmental impact of your web estate - think of them as the digital sustainability equivalent of WCAG for accessibility.

In this session, Emma Horrell, Invited Expert in the W3C Special Interest Group that developed the WSG, offers a beginner's guide to what the guidelines are, how they were developed, and what they mean for web teams in higher education. She'll take a deep dive into selected guidelines, exploring practical steps alongside the bigger mindset shifts needed to plan for a more sustainable future.

Drawing on real experience from the University of Edinburgh (where the web team has been making tangible changes to their digital carbon footprint) Emma will share successes, failures, and lessons learned along the way.

If you've been looking for a reason to act on digital sustainability, this is it. You've got to start somewhere.