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This article is part of: Sustainability
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Discussions from STL’s recent CSP-exclusive roundtable resulted in a series of telco- and industry-level recommendations for measuring and rewarding sustainability benefits throughout the network’s lifecycle.
Most telcos have made a strong commitment to sustainability, setting ambitious targets inspired by the pursuit of net zero. Telcos now have practical steps in place to reduce carbon footprints as part of their sustainability journey, with many committed to achieving net-zero goals between 2040 and 2050. See the figure below.
Different telcos target timeframes for achieving net-zero goals
However, sustainability remains a fragmented effort within the telecom industry, with targets varying in timeframe due to each telecom’s unique challenges. While some are still in the process of determining what to measure and report, others are taking a more ambitious approach, focusing on aspects like the circular Scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 emissions, where most of a telecom’s carbon emissions originate, include the indirect or embedded emissions from the goods and services that the telcos purchase to deliver their services. Scope 3 also captures the impact of a service provider’s entire supply chain, critically including the carbon emissions released from manufacturing the network equipment they deploy. Typically, Scope 3 emissions account for over 75% of a telecom’s overall emissions. See the figure below.
Breakdown of the three scopes of telco emissions
Despite making initial progress towards net-zero, operators face mounting internal and external pressures as sustaining emissions reductions becomes increasingly challenging. As they approach net-zero, maintaining these reductions becomes more difficult, especially since the initial low-hanging fruits have already been addressed. These low-hanging fruits refer to telecom initiatives that have a significant impact through relatively straightforward actions, such as transitioning from copper to fiber-optic networks, which decommissions old technologies in favour of newer, more energy-efficient alternatives. Internally, operators must transition towards a more comprehensive, strategic approach to tackle greenhouse emissions, integrating sustainability across all operations, starting with core competencies.
Table of contents
- Executive summary
- Introduction
- The sustainability opportunities and associated complications
- Barriers stopping telcos from reaching sustainable outcomes
- Solutions to accelerate sustainability adoption
- Architecture and strategy lifecycle stage
- Design, procurement and contracting lifecycle stage
- Deployment and operations lifecycle stage
- Conclusion: What is next for the industry?
Related research
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- Can telcos square the sustainability circle for consumers?
- Roadmap to creating and executing winning Scope 3 strategies
- Beyond connectivity: Telcos’ evolution into sustainability enablement
