Commercial, GHG Emissions  -  March 13, 2020

Telecommunications industry explores opportunities for carbon reduction

The information and communications technology (ICT) industry may be shifting their focus to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% from 2020 to 2030 under a new standard implemented by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

According to a report by The Guardian, the GMSA has identified 29 operators groups who have committed to such science-based companies. These companies, who represent 30% of the mobile connections around the world, include América Móvil, AT&T, BT, Bharti Airtel, Deutsche Telekom, Elisa, Far Eastone, KPN, Magyar Telekom, NTT DOCOMO, Orange, Proximus, Reliance Jio Infocomm, Safaricom, Singtel, SK Telecom, STC, Swisscom, T Mobile USA, Taiwan Mobile, TDC, Tele2, Telefónica, Telekom Austria, Telenor, Telia Company, Telstra, Verizon and Vodafone.

These new standards were developed specifically for operators of mobile networks, fixed networks and datacenters and reflect the emissions cut necessary to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree target. The industry expects to achieve these new goals by shifting to renewable energy and low-carbon energy.

“The standard is an example of what can be achieved with good collaboration between key partners,” ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao told the publication. “It represents a significant contribution to the international effort in pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal.”

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