We make green tech
Working in collaboration, the Scottish Tech Army (STA), NatWest and GoCodeGreen have built a low carbon impact charity donation platform in support of the humanitarian crisis created by the war in Ukraine. Together we are showing how a common purpose, doing good and having sustainability at the heart of delivery is possible.
This marks a first for the STA and GoCodeGreen as this is the first double A Rated application has ever assessed. What does this mean? This means we are setting the benchmark for best in class carbon efficient software for the Donate4Ukraine donation matching platform.
The best way to bring this to life is to hear from the various stakeholders and sponsors of the project. Sheena Hales, Programme Manager NatWest Group said
“I love bringing the bank’s purpose into action. It was clear that we needed to do something to help when the Edinburgh branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain got in touch and that we had to do it quickly. Our Commercial Banking CDIO team worked with the Scottish Tech Army and built the donation site, and as a result we have supported the delivery of over 100 tonnes of targeted aid back to Ukraine, as well as helping displaced Ukrainians arriving in Scotland with essential items. Knowing that the team have built this with sustainability in mind is just such a great example of how working with passionate people who care, can make such a difference.”
Joanna Allen, Head of Projects and Programmes at the Scottish Tech Army added:
The NatWest Skill bank team reached out to us off the back of previous successful projects like Sustainable Fashion Scotland for COP26. They wanted to build a donation matching platform from scratch as quickly as possible. The urgency to support those most in need was palpable. We knew we had a solution that could be put to good use , all hosted in a cloud-based environment.
The team set about maximising the reuse of as many existing components as possible. The volunteer team delivered us a working platform within days and after a rapid integration were able to go live. At the same time we met GoCodeGreen, and agreed we’d go through their assessment process - literally within days we had a full report highlighting where we had made clean choices in our deign and build. Receiving a ‘best in class’ rating for our technical build is amazing, and we can clearly see where we can make improvements to reach a similar level on other projects. The idea of using tech to make a difference and to do it end to end, with sustainability at the core, is a pattern we want to use again and again.”
The Scottish Tech Army is keen to promote good practice in every way and many people do not understand the impact of technology on the environment. So far, we have seen the focus on the manufacturing chains for our mobile phones but our videos and platforms like TikTok are consuming huge amounts of resources. It would be great to think that the STA could help technologists learn better ways of working.
The aspiration to do good at multiple levels all in one software product demonstrated STA’s pioneering perspective on technology and how tech can be used to combat some of the biggest challenges of our times. The fact that they can now demonstrate that their own technical choices have resulted in a clean software product is an example to others. It is possible for us all to make a difference.
To show your support, visit: www.donate4ukraine.co.uk
