Can telcos square the sustainability circle for consumers?

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Many consumers and regulators are concerned about the growing environmental footprint of digital devices and services. If the telecoms and tech industries don’t do more to reduce their impact, particularly in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, regulators are increasingly likely to intervene, as the EU has done to standardise handset, camera and laptop chargers.

This report looks at how telcos can help consumers live more sustainably without compromising their business objectives.

Description

Format: PDF filePages: 40 pagesAuthor: David PringlePublication Date: July 2024

Table of Contents

  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction
  • The regulatory spotlight
  • Encouraging consumers to use their devices for longer
  • Lowering the number of devices per household
  • Reducing the energy consumed with connectivity
  • Helping consumers cut their carbon footprints
  • Conclusions
  • Index

Table of Figures

  • Figure 1: How telcos could make their consumer businesses more sustainable
  • Figure 2: The rationale for different sustainability measures and the likely downsides
  • Figure 3: The production of devices is a major contributor to greenhouse gases
  • Figure 4: In France, the digital carbon footprint is set to grow by 45% this decade
  • Figure 5: In France, smartphones are replaced far more frequently than other devices
  • Figure 6: Most UK consumers want to use their smartphone for at least three years
  • Figure 7: Smarty focuses on discounted SIM-only deals and refurbished handsets
  • Figure 8: The alignment between the handset upgrade cycle and sustainability goals
  • Figure 9: Devices’ share of the overall market and digital carbon footprint
  • Figure 10: The alignment between reducing the number of devices sold and sustainability goals
  • Figure 11: The mixed business case for reducing the energy intensity of connectivity
  • Figure 12: Honest Mobile uses sustainability incentives to increase phone usage
  • Figure 13: How Honest Mobile measures its CO2 emissions
  • Figure 14: It is generally in telcos’ interests to help consumers reduce their footprint
  • Figure 15: The Proximus super app aims to help consumers manage energy usage
  • Figure 16: Changing when key appliances are used can smooth out demand peaks
  • Figure 17: Solar360 offers solar installation and monitoring services
  • Figure 18: MEO Energia is somewhat vague about its sources of energy
  • Figure 19: Esoleo offers a portfolio of renewable energy solutions
  • Figure 20: Polsat Plus managed to reduce its customers’ carbon footprint in 2023: Tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions
  • Figure 21: Telstra’s “simple and sustainable” energy proposition

 

Technologies and industry terms referenced include: 5G, ADEME, Altice Portugal, apple, ARCEP, Bboxx, Bouygues Télécom, carbon footprint, Connected Home, Cyfrowy Polsat, Deutsche Telekom, Djingo, Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, Energia, Envision Digital, Esoleo, EU, European Commission, European Union, EV, Flex plan, Forest Forever Foundation, FTTH, Greenlight Planet, GSMA, HMD Global, Honest Mobile, Liberty Global, O2 Recycle, Orange, Orange Money, PlusBank, Polkomtel, Polsat Plus, Proximus, Proximus+ app, Repsol, SDGs, smartDOM, Smarty, Solar360, Source, Statista, Telefonica, Telstra, Turbo Energy, Type-C charging port, Virgin Media O2, Vodafone Germany, YouGov