The Linux Foundation | 14 September 2023
New report illustrates how open source projects and communities accelerate the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
San Francisco – September 14, 2023 – The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced the release of its latest research report from LF Research, "Open Source for Sustainability: How Linux Foundation Projects Accelerate Progress Toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals." Authored by Kirsten Sandberg, and with a foreword by Bilel Jamoussi of the International Telecommunication Union, the UN specialized agency for information and communication technologies, the report illustrates the critical role of open source in the advancement of each of the 17 UN SDGs.
The Linux Foundation hosts hundreds of open source projects, as well as provides essential tools, structures, funding sources, governance models, and community support, all of which sustain the digital public goods that make sustainable development possible. This research explores how different open source projects and communities accelerate progress toward achieving the UN SDGs, including by providing cost-effective and trusted infrastructure, fostering cooperation, breaking down barriers to innovation, reducing waste, and promoting cultures of inclusion, transparency, and trust.
“This report’s publication is a beacon for the 2030 Agenda, and an invaluable resource to understand the role that open source plays in meeting it,” says Hilary Carter, Linux Foundation’s SVP of Research. “I am excited by the opportunities that this report creates to broaden awareness of how open source can supercharge the Goals, and to galvanize multi stakeholder action where it is needed most.”
The report’s publication comes just days before SDG Digital, an event presented by the ITU and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where global leaders, including Jim Zemlin, Linux Foundation Executive Director, will convene to discuss how digital technologies can accelerate progress towards the SDGs, catalyze action, and pledge support for the 2030 Agenda.
Beyond SDG Digital, the Linux Foundation and open source project communities are actively supporting events with a sustainability focus. In Bilbao, Spain at Open Source Summit Europe – running September 19 to 21 – important discussions are taking place during SustainabilityCon, a gathering of developers, technologists, and sustainability leaders working on technological solutions to decarbonize the global economy and build a more sustainable future. Next month, from October 14 to 15, LF AI and Data Foundation is supporting the TED AI Hackathon in San Francisco, where developers will explore the power of AI to address societal challenges, improve people’s resiliency and promote sustainable development in a holistic manner.
"TED AI is an event that shows the power and impact of AI," said Arun Gupta, TED AI Opensource Hackathon Lead. "We are excited to partner with LF AI & Data Foundation to host an open source hackathon that leverages AI for social good. We are very thankful for LF to host the GitHub organization and help create open source solutions to make a positive impact for UN Sustainable Development Goals."
To read the report and learn more about how the Linux Foundation – and our open source projects – are advancing sustainable development, please visit our website.
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Media Contact
Noah Lehman
The Linux Foundation
nlehman@linuxfoundation.org