GreenOps Maturity Assessment
Measure & Improve Your Sustainability Practices
A practical framework to assess your cloud sustainability maturity and create a roadmap for improvement
Why Assess Your GreenOps Maturity?
Like FinOps, GreenOps isn't a fixed destination—it's a journey of continuous improvement. Understanding your current maturity level helps you identify gaps, prioritize improvements, and measure progress over time. This assessment provides a structured approach to evaluating your GreenOps practices.
Our maturity assessment covers five key dimensions of GreenOps practice, each evaluated across four levels of maturity. For each dimension, we provide concrete indicators to help you accurately assess your current state and identify your next steps.
The CloudCostChefs GreenOps Maturity Matrix
Five key dimensions evaluated across four maturity levels
Dimension 1: Visibility & Measurement
How well can you see and measure your cloud carbon footprint?
Basic (Crawl)
Manual tracking with basic tools
- •Carbon data collected manually or via basic tools
- •Limited to high-level cloud provider dashboards
- •No standardized measurement methodology
- •Reporting is ad-hoc and manual
Developing (Walk)
Automated collection with consistent methodology
- •Automated data collection from multiple sources
- •Service-level emissions visibility
- •Consistent methodology applied
- •Regular reporting on basic metrics
Advanced (Run)
Real-time dashboards with detailed granularity
- •Real-time carbon dashboards with alerts
- •Resource-level granularity for all services
- •Standardized, documented methodology
- •Trend analysis and forecasting
Leading (Fly)
Integrated, predictive carbon intelligence
- •Carbon data integrated with all infrastructure tools
- •Workload-level and per-transaction visibility
- •Activity-based measurement with high accuracy
- •Predictive analytics and anomaly detection
Dimension 2: Optimization Practices
How systematically do you optimize for carbon efficiency?
Basic (Crawl)
Manual optimizations for obvious problems
- •Manual optimizations when problems are obvious
- •Focus on simple actions like deleting idle resources
- •No structured process for implementing changes
- •Limited to easy wins with immediate payback
Developing (Walk)
Regular reviews with some automation
- •Regular optimization reviews (monthly/quarterly)
- •Automated recommendations for common patterns
- •Process for implementing and tracking changes
- •Both quick wins and medium-term strategies
Advanced (Run)
Continuous optimization with architecture focus
- •Continuous optimization via automation
- •Regular architecture reviews for efficiency
- •Carbon considerations in new designs
- •Advanced techniques like workload scheduling
Leading (Fly)
ML-driven optimization and innovation
- •ML-driven optimization across cloud footprint
- •Carbon efficiency as architectural principle
- •Automated remediation of inefficiencies
- •Continuous innovation in sustainable patterns
Dimension 3: Integration & Automation
How well are carbon practices integrated into your workflows?
Basic (Crawl)
Separate tools with manual processes
- •Separate tools for carbon and cost tracking
- •Manual data transfer between systems
- •Limited or no automation
- •No integration with CI/CD or infrastructure
Developing (Walk)
Basic integration with some automation
- •Basic integration between carbon and FinOps tools
- •Some automated data collection and reporting
- •Basic automation for common optimizations
- •Simple checks in deployment pipelines
Advanced (Run)
Unified dashboards with extensive automation
- •Unified dashboards for carbon and cost
- •Extensive automation for data and optimizations
- •Integration with CI/CD for deployment validation
- •Carbon checks in infrastructure as code
Leading (Fly)
Seamless integration across all platforms
- •Seamless integration across all platforms
- •Full automation of measurement and optimization
- •Carbon-aware CI/CD pipelines with enforcement
- •Automated carbon budget management
Dimension 4: Culture & Governance
How embedded is sustainability in your organization?
Basic (Crawl)
Limited awareness with single champion
- •Limited awareness of GreenOps principles
- •Single person responsible for sustainability
- •No formal policies or processes
- •Minimal executive engagement
Developing (Walk)
Dedicated team with basic governance
- •GreenOps training for key teams
- •Dedicated GreenOps team or function
- •Basic policies and governance
- •Executive reporting and sponsorship
Advanced (Run)
Organization-wide competency with comprehensive policies
- •Organization-wide GreenOps competency
- •Distributed responsibility model
- •Comprehensive policy framework
- •Executive KPIs tied to sustainability
Leading (Fly)
Sustainability embedded in company culture
- •Sustainability embedded in company culture
- •Cross-functional ownership and accountability
- •Policy-as-code with automated enforcement
- •Sustainability central to business strategy
Dimension 5: Business Integration
How well is sustainability connected to business value?
Basic (Crawl)
Technical exercise with no business connection
- •Carbon tracking seen as technical exercise
- •No connection to business metrics
- •Sustainability treated as cost center
- •No value measurement for GreenOps initiatives
Developing (Walk)
Basic budgets with some business alignment
- •Basic carbon budgets aligned to business units
- •Carbon efficiency reported alongside costs
- •ROI calculated for major initiatives
- •Some connection to business objectives
Advanced (Run)
Integrated accounting with comprehensive ROI tracking
- •Carbon accounting integrated with finance
- •Regular business reviews include sustainability
- •Comprehensive ROI tracking for all initiatives
- •Clear alignment to corporate ESG strategy
Leading (Fly)
Carbon as business currency and strategic advantage
- •Carbon treated as business currency
- •Product decisions include carbon considerations
- •Value quantification for all sustainability aspects
- •Strategic advantage derived from GreenOps
How to Use This Assessment
Score Your Current State
For each dimension, evaluate your organization against the maturity indicators and determine your current level (1-4). Be honest—the goal is improvement, not perfect scores.
Set Target Maturity Levels
Based on your organizational needs and constraints, set realistic target maturity levels for each dimension. Not every organization needs to reach Level 4 in all dimensions.
Identify Gaps and Prioritize Actions
For each dimension, identify the specific gaps between your current and target states. Prioritize actions based on business impact, feasibility, and organizational readiness.
Create Your Roadmap
Develop a time-bound roadmap for improving each dimension. Break down the journey into quarterly milestones with specific, measurable outcomes.
Reassess Regularly
Conduct regular reassessments (quarterly or bi-annually) to track progress and adjust your roadmap as needed. Celebrate improvements and identify new areas for growth.
Detailed Assessment Questionnaire
Use this detailed questionnaire to accurately assess your current maturity level for each dimension
Visibility & Measurement Assessment
Data Collection:
- -How is carbon emissions data collected? (Manual, semi-automated, fully automated)
- -What is the frequency of data collection? (Monthly, weekly, daily, real-time)
- -What percentage of your cloud footprint is covered by carbon tracking?
Data Granularity:
- -At what level can you view carbon emissions? (Account, service, resource, workload)
- -Can you break down emissions by team, application, or business unit?
- -Can you attribute emissions to specific transactions or user actions?
Methodology:
- -What carbon accounting methodology do you use? (Spend-based, activity-based, hybrid)
- -Is your methodology documented and consistently applied?
- -Has your methodology been validated against industry standards?
Reporting:
- -What carbon metrics do you regularly report?
- -Who receives these reports and at what frequency?
- -Do you conduct trend analysis and forecasting?
Optimization Practices Assessment
Optimization Approach:
- -How are optimization opportunities identified? (Manual, tool-assisted, AI-driven)
- -What process exists for implementing optimizations?
- -How frequently are optimizations reviewed and implemented?
Optimization Types:
- -What types of optimizations do you regularly implement? (Rightsizing, scheduling, etc.)
- -Do you consider carbon impact in architectural decisions?
- -Do you implement carbon-aware scheduling or regional optimization?
Measurement & Tracking:
- -How do you track the impact of optimization initiatives?
- -Do you measure both financial and carbon savings?
- -How do you verify that optimizations maintain required performance?
Continuous Improvement:
- -Is there a process for continuously identifying new optimization opportunities?
- -How do you prioritize optimization initiatives?
- -Do you have optimization targets and key performance indicators?
Integration & Automation Assessment
Tool Integration:
- -How well are your carbon tools integrated with other platforms?
- -Is there integration between FinOps and GreenOps tools?
- -Can teams access carbon data within their existing workflows?
Automation Level:
- -What aspects of carbon tracking are automated?
- -What aspects of optimization are automated?
- -Do you have automated remediation for inefficiencies?
CI/CD Integration:
- -Is carbon impact assessed during development and deployment?
- -Are there carbon checks or gates in your deployment pipelines?
- -Can developers see the carbon impact of their code changes?
Infrastructure as Code:
- -Do your IaC templates include carbon efficiency considerations?
- -Are there automated validations for carbon efficiency in IaC?
- -Do you enforce carbon policies in your infrastructure automation?
Culture & Governance Assessment
Awareness & Skills:
- -What percentage of technical staff understand GreenOps principles?
- -Is there formal training on cloud sustainability practices?
- -How is GreenOps knowledge shared across the organization?
Roles & Responsibilities:
- -Who is responsible for GreenOps in your organization?
- -Is responsibility centralized or distributed?
- -Are GreenOps responsibilities included in job descriptions?
Policies & Governance:
- -What formal GreenOps policies exist?
- -How are these policies enforced?
- -Is there executive oversight of GreenOps initiatives?
Incentives & Recognition:
- -Are teams incentivized to improve carbon efficiency?
- -How are GreenOps successes recognized and celebrated?
- -Are there consequences for poor carbon performance?
Business Integration Assessment
Business Alignment:
- -How is GreenOps aligned with business objectives?
- -Are carbon metrics included in business reviews?
- -Do product decisions consider carbon impact?
Value Measurement:
- -How do you measure the business value of GreenOps initiatives?
- -Is there a process for calculating ROI on sustainability investments?
- -Do you quantify non-financial benefits of carbon reduction?
Budget & Resources:
- -Is there dedicated budget for GreenOps initiatives?
- -How are carbon budgets allocated and managed?
- -Are resources appropriately allocated to achieve carbon goals?
Strategic Impact:
- -Is cloud sustainability part of your corporate strategy?
- -Do you leverage GreenOps for competitive advantage?
- -Is sustainability considered a business enabler rather than a constraint?
Maturity Assessment Examples
Real-world examples of organizations at different maturity levels
Example 1: Early-Stage GreenOps Organization
Company Profile: Mid-sized SaaS company with 100+ developers and a multi-cloud environment. Just starting their GreenOps journey.
Current Maturity Assessment:
Key Observations:
- •Using cloud provider dashboards for basic carbon tracking
- •No standardized process for optimization
- •Manual data collection and reporting
- •Single sustainability champion with limited support
- •No connection to business metrics or strategy
12-Month Roadmap Highlights:
- ✓Q1: Enable cloud carbon dashboards and establish baseline
- ✓Q2: Implement basic optimization practices (idle resource cleanup)
- ✓Q3: Begin integrating carbon metrics with cost reporting
- ✓Q4: Establish GreenOps team and formal governance structure
Example 2: Maturing GreenOps Organization
Company Profile: Large enterprise with 500+ developers, primarily AWS with some Azure. Established FinOps practice, now expanding to GreenOps.
Current Maturity Assessment:
Key Observations:
- •Automated data collection with service-level visibility
- •Regular optimization reviews but limited automation
- •Minimal integration with existing tools and workflows
- •Dedicated sustainability team but limited organization-wide engagement
- •Carbon reporting to executives but not tied to business outcomes
12-Month Roadmap Highlights:
- ✓Q1: Enhance data granularity to resource level and improve dashboards
- ✓Q2: Implement automated optimization recommendations
- ✓Q3: Integrate carbon metrics with CI/CD and infrastructure automation
- ✓Q4: Develop carbon budgets aligned to business units
Example 3: Advanced GreenOps Organization
Company Profile: Global technology company with 2000+ developers across all major cloud providers. Mature FinOps and looking to lead in GreenOps.
Current Maturity Assessment:
Key Observations:
- •Real-time carbon dashboards with resource-level granularity
- •Continuous optimization with significant automation
- •Basic integration with development and infrastructure tools
- •Organization-wide GreenOps competency and clear governance
- •Carbon metrics included in business reviews
12-Month Roadmap Highlights:
- ✓Q1: Implement ML-driven optimization and predictive analytics
- ✓Q2: Develop full carbon-aware CI/CD pipeline integration
- ✓Q3: Establish carbon as a primary architectural consideration
- ✓Q4: Integrate carbon metrics into product and business strategy
Next Steps After Assessment
Share Results
Communicate your assessment results with key stakeholders
Build Consensus
Agree on target maturity levels and priorities
Allocate Resources
Ensure appropriate budget and staffing for improvements
Track Progress
Establish regular reassessment cadence
Join Community
Connect with other organizations on similar journeys
Remember: GreenOps maturity is a journey, not a destination. The goal is continuous improvement, not perfection. Start where you are, set realistic targets, and celebrate progress along the way.
Ready to Assess Your GreenOps Maturity?
Download the full assessment worksheet and start your journey toward cloud sustainability excellence