Serverless computing is becoming increasingly popular, with 40% of IT professionals and 50% of AWS users adopting the model. While the biggest benefit is the ability to build apps without managing tech infrastructure, the model's sustainability benefits are less well-known.

Serverless computing reduces on-demand compute consumption, optimizing emissions and helping companies use less energy. Moreover, it encourages developers to write more efficient code, reducing hardware waste and energy use, and can reduce a company's carbon footprint by up to 88%.

While larger players like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft can implement major improvements in energy efficiency, smaller companies also stand to benefit, with savings of up to 90% for non-mission-critical apps.

To maximize energy savings and make serverless computing permanently sustainable, organizations need to establish clear sustainability goals, analyze their carbon footprint, and work toward reducing their energy consumption. Providers also need to take action, co-locating serverless microservices, running resource-intensive microservices in regions with low carbon intensity, and optimizing how data is stored to restrict idle times even further.