Green Software Engineering for Sustainable IT Services: A Scopus-Based Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Mapping
TL;DR
The findings indicate that GSE is an emerging but steadily growing field, with publication activity increasing markedly after 2016, and major research themes included energy efficiency, energy consumption, sustainable development, software design, Green Computing, software sustainability, and Green IT.
Abstract
This study maps the development of Green Software Engineering (GSE) research and examines its contribution to sustainable IT services. A Scopus-based Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was combined with bibliometric mapping. Records were retrieved on May 6, 2026 using TITLE-ABS-KEY("Green Software"), screened according to PRISMA, and analyzed with VOSviewer. After applying document-type and language criteria, 108 English-language Scopus-indexed journal articles were included. The findings indicate that GSE is an emerging but steadily growing field, with publication activity increasing markedly after 2016. Spain was the leading contributor, while major research themes included energy efficiency, energy consumption, sustainable development, software design, Green Computing, software sustainability, and Green IT. This study contributes by integrating systematic review evidence with bibliometric mapping to provide a consolidated and traceable overview of GSE in the context of sustainable IT services. Practically, the findings highlight research-informed priorities for IT service planning, including energy efficiency, hardware efficiency, carbon awareness, sustainability measurement, and climate commitments. The results are limited to Scopus-indexed evidence retrieved using the keyword “Green Software” and should not be interpreted as representing all global GSE research.