Dialogue@ZJU: With Ian Chew, recipient of Forbes 30 Under 30 award

[Editor’s Note: Ian Chew (Clinical Medicine, '24) was honored on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list Asia for his significant social impact. His innovative Greenie Web platform reduces the digital carbon footprint, championing sustainability in technology. Also, his "28 by 28" campaign highlights global efforts to teach greener coding practices, emphasizing the need for continued advocacy. In this interview, let’s explore his education journey  at Zhejiang University and his innovation Journey of Greenie Web platform.] 

Q1: Can you describe the moment you first conceived the idea for Greenie Web? What were the biggest challenges you faced in transforming that idea into a functional tool, and how did you overcome them?

Greenie Web was conceived when I was about 13 years old; when I had first picked up coding. As a young boy, I had been very passionate about the environment – the zoo was one of my favourite places to visit. Back then, I was wondering how my new found skill in coding could potentially intersect with my enthusiasm for the environment. Greenie Web was thus born.

Essentially, Greenie Web is an artificial intelligence (A.I.) powered software tool that changes regular computer code into low-carbon computer code. What differentiates low-carbon computer code from regular computer code is that it consumes much less energy at the CPU and GPU level when performing the same task. When traced to the energy source, the reduced energy consumption would directly correlate with a reduced carbon footprint at the power-generation facilities.

In terms of challenges faced, I believe that timing is key to any successful product. When I first started Greenie Web as a passion project, A.I. was still in its nascent stages and a far cry from what we have today. In fact, the general public in 2009 considered A.I. very much in in the realm of science-fiction. 
Because the supporting general technologies to build Greenie Web were still not mature enough then, there was a long gestation period of research and trial & error. Starting early also granted me the luxury of time – I could let Greenie Web stay dormant for a couple of weeks as I prepped for an example or took part in a competition.

In all, I believe perseverance was the key determinant. It could have been very easy for me to completely scrap the idea and move on. But even 15 years ago, I truly believed that the technology would be responsible for an increasing amount of carbon emissions and I found it unconscionable to do nothing. As such, through sheer grit and determination, I rode out those early years.

Q2: How has your education at Zhejiang University contributed to your success in the digital sustainability field? Are there specific experiences or mentors at Zhejiang University that significantly influenced your approach to your projects?

First and foremost, Zhejiang University has always been an institution of innovation – in fact, innovation is so embedded in the school’s DNA that the university’s motto is “Seeking Truth. Pursuing Innovation”. 

Many renowned entrepreneurs have graced through the halls of this university. This include luminaries such as Alex Zhu – who founded Music.ly – which was eventually bought over by Bytedance and turned into what we know as Tiktok. This year, it has been reported that there are currently 30 unicorns – a term used to describe a company with a valuation of at least 1 billion yuan – founded by Zhejiang University alumni. 

As such, entrepreneurship is top-of-mind for many on campus and one can find innumerable students brainstorming the-next-big thing and coming together to build it. This forms a dynamic, startup ecosystem on campus that breeds exciting new products and services.

More specifically, I believe there has been three pivotal points: a total of one experience and two mentors that have deeply shaped my approach at Greenie Web. During my time at the Office of Global Engagement – as a student journalist and editor – I got the opportunity to edit parts of the university’s the university's Sustainability Action Plan. This was the inaugural SDG action plan put together by the university and it granted me greater knowledge of how large organizations function in relation to sustainability and more broadly, SDGs. 

Being in Greenie Web meant that I was frequently on the sales side of things – trying to convince customers to adopt our digital sustainability products and services. Helping out with the university’s SDG action plan granted me a greater scope of understanding as to the main considerations of multi-faceted organizations and allowed me to better navigate Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) which have many organizational layers and stakeholders.

In terms of mentorship, there have been many teachers who have inspired me with their action and work in-and-out of the university. However, two key mentors would be Deputy Dean SHEN Liyong of the School of Public Affairs and Dr. ZHENG Rui of the School of International Studies. I was fortunate to meet both mentors in the very first year of university and have been in touch for advice for a wide variety of issues: from business etiquette in China all the way to what the Chinese name for my company should be. Deputy Dean SHEN and Dr. ZHENG have been guiding light and wise counsel that have had an outsized positive impact on how I run Greenie Web.

Q3: Being recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list is a significant achievement. How do you think this recognition will impact your future projects or the reach of Greenie Web?

To me, this is a humbling moment. It is both a recognition of past efforts and a clarion call towards working even harder. I strongly believe that the Forbes 30 under 30 award is not the end, but merely the first stop in a long journey. There is still much that can and has to be done to reduce the carbon footprint of the digital world. With rapid digitization across all industries and emerging economies; the rise of generative A.I. and the re-emergence of the blockchain., there will be a greater need for efficient, low-carbon computer coding that Greenie Web produces. 

From my understanding, this is the first time anyone working on low-carbon coding has been recognized in the Forbes 30 under 30 list. This speaks volumes to the increasing importance of low-carbon coding and also shows how industry is moving towards an inflection point, where digital sustainability will be viewed with the same importance and urgency as physical sustainability.

Being on the same list as Mark Zuckerburg of Facebook, Melanie Perkins of Canva and Daniel Ek of Spotify is a great honour. It is moment I will relish for many years to come. At the same time, I hope to strive towards doing more for the digital sustainability space, for the earth and society.

Q4: Through your "28 by 28" campaign, you’ve engaged with students across the globe to teach greener coding practices. What have you learned from this international outreach, and what impact do you hope to see from these efforts in the next decade?

Thus far, there have been two major takeaways from the international outreach – surprisingly, it consists of one similarity and one difference. Through my interactions with students from Europe to Africa to Australia, I came across various cultures and this increased my appreciation for the rich diversity around the world. The interactions and planning involved in setting up one session differed greatly from country to country, and even between different cities in a given country. This ensured that I was always nimble and quick to adapt to the local norms and situations.

In terms of similarity, I learnt that the way coding is taught around the world has not changed much in the last 70 years. There might be newer languages and frameworks, but the focus of coding has remained largely unchanged. The carbon footprint of computer code did not appear in the lesson plans of any of the institutions I had reached out to and there was no mention of low-carbon computer coding. This discovery – while extremely unfortunate – further bolstered my belief that Greenie Web and I are headed in the right direction: to shed light on the inherent environmental impact of software and to make an actual difference on it. 

Q5: As you approach graduation, what are your plans post-Zhejiang University? How do you intend to expand your impact on digital sustainability, and are there new projects on the horizon that you can share with us?

Post-graduation, I am going to focus on Greenie Web full-time. In truth, the long number of hours spent on Greenie Web, per day, for the past few years probably meant that I have already been involved full-time in Greenie Web since a long while back.

This year – we have started the 29 by 29 Program. This is in response to the highly successful inaugural 28 by 28 Program. As the name 29 by 29 suggests, I am looking to build capacity and raise awareness in digital sustainability in 29 educational institutions, non-profits and communities before COP29 in Azerbaijan later this year. Interested organizations can reach out to me at the email address below!

The Global Youth Alliance for Digital Sustainability was also started last year and as the founding Chairperson, I am looking to push out more initiatives through the organization. The first part of the year has been quieter – with much work done in the background – but you can expect to hear some interesting activities start popping up in the months ahead.

At the same time, Greenie Web will be having an exciting product announcement. Unfortunately, this is also still in the wraps, so all I can say is stay tuned for more exciting developments!