{"id":12356,"date":"2020-06-22T14:21:07","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T13:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/about-us\/regions\/europe\/gsma_resources\/eu_green_deal\/"},"modified":"2025-12-11T18:03:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T18:03:17","slug":"eu_green_deal","status":"publish","type":"gsma_theme_resources","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/about-us\/regions\/europe\/gsma_resources\/eu_green_deal\/","title":{"rendered":"GSMA Position Paper on the European Green Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We welcome the Green Deal initiative<\/strong> which is an essential initiative to reduce the risks related to climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Green Recovery.<\/strong> In the light of the current COVID-19 crisis, we welcome the willingness of the European Commission to enshrine the Green Deal in the recovery strategy, integrating appropriate sustainability objectives in upcoming measures to revive the European economy. By triggering innovation and investment in future areas of growth, Europe will in the long term emerge strengthened from the crisis. Here, ICT solutions can play a crucial role by decoupling economic growth from growth in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We support a clear pathway towards climate neutrality in 2050.<\/strong> We agree the interim targets for 2030 should be specified, reassuring to be right on track towards climate neutrality in 2050. Telecoms and the ICT sector overall are crucial stakeholders in this context, with a strong potential to leverage sustainability of Europe\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are committed.<\/strong> Telecoms have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and have established a broad variety of relevant measures with regard to the European Commission\u2019s objectives. This refers to topics such as energy and material efficiency, green finance, sustainable corporate governance, circular economy and transparency. Beyond our achievements, we are keen to further discuss the role the mobile sector can play in the green transition. In any case, policy initiatives should build on established good practices and the industry\u2019s experience, which ensures policies match with market realities and thus are effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are part of the solution.<\/strong> ICT has a crucial role as an enabler for the whole economy in the green transition. Compared to the climate footprint of other industries, the ICT sector\u2019s climate footprint is relatively small at only 1.4% of global GHG emissions (and the mobile sector at 0.4% of GHG emissions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We provide technical guidance.<\/strong> We are eager to share our expertise with policymakers and other stakeholders. Our established good practices can serve as guidance to reach the declared objectives<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to move jointly.<\/strong> Only if all relevant stakeholders contribute to the Green Deal, can we achieve its ambitious targets. Accordingly, policymakers should encourage stakeholders to take responsibility, while new regulations should cover all relevant market players and value chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need political support.<\/strong> A policy framework that allows for innovation and ensures investment friendly conditions for telecoms and ICT will leverage the full potential of digital for the sake of sustainability. Accordingly, any new obligations need to be proportionate.<\/p>\n\n\n

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1. Networks and ICT solutions as an enabler<\/div><\/div>
<\/p>\n

Digital is a driving force of climate neutrality<\/strong>. Through its enabling effect for the whole economy, there is broad agreement that GHG savings through the use of ICT are higher than the ICT sector\u2019s footprint. A recent study by the GSMA calculated the use of mobile technology enabled a sglobal reduction in GHG emissions of around 2,135 million tonnes CO2<\/sub>e in 2018[1]<\/a>, reflecting an enabling effect resulting in ten times more GHG savings than ICT\u2019s climate footprint. Smart connected technologies are a key enabler for a low carbon economy, and as such, ambitious climate targets for the whole economy and society require a push for ICT and digitisation.<\/p>\n

Strong telecoms networks are the basis for digitisation for good<\/strong>. Various services and solutions provided by telecom operators facilitate the deployment of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the realisation of the Gigabit Society. Fibre networks allow the transfer of increasingly high traffic volumes, building the backbone of data-intense green societies. The positive enabling effect is not limited to new or future network technologies, already existing networks have a positive enabling effect for the economy and society.<\/p>\n

Beyond connectivity, telecoms operators<\/strong> provide a range of ICT solutions<\/strong> that contribute to energy and material efficiency, e.g. smart solutions for logistics (i.e. IoT technologies embedded in vehicles to optimise route management, vehicle maintenance and driver behaviour, delivering cuts in fuel consumption of up to 30%), grids (i.e. smart meters enabling authorities and households to monitor, manage and reduce their energy use), farming (sensors giving farmers the power to measure and record data such as physical, chemical, microbial soil analysis, pest presence, satellite sensing information and data from IoT\u00a0sensors such as\u00a0soil moisture probes, vehicle trackers and weather stations, to produce the most profitable yield from the available land and environment under their control), homes (digitisation leading to online banking, shopping, and streaming services that reduce manufacturing and travel), cities (i.e. public transport planning. smart lighting); and work or mobility. To facilitate the strong enabling effect of ICT solutions, decision-makers should define aspirational policy targets on the digitisation of traditional sectors: from public administration to transport, from energy to education and manufacturing. Full uptake of digital technologies has the potential to boost socio-economic transformation by reducing the carbon footprint of Europe\u2019s industrial sector, e.g. of agriculture or manufacturing.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/newsroom\/press-release\/mobile-technologies-enabling-huge-carbon-reductions-in-response-to-climate-emergency\/<\/p>\n

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2. Increasing Energy efficiency<\/div><\/div>
<\/p>\n

2.1. Deploying new network technologies<\/strong><\/p>\n

The deployment of new network technologies such as fibre and 5G<\/strong> will further improve the energy efficiency of telecoms operators. Despite the current COVID-19 crisis, telecoms continue to invest in energy efficient infrastructure. In general, network load optimisation is essential to ensure a reduction in total energy consumption. Improving energy efficiency to consume less energy can be achieved through a multitude of solutions, including smart building, virtualising the core, and enhancing RAN efficiency through modernisation of legacy equipment and implementation of low-powered solutions.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

To support and accelerate this ongoing effort, decision-makers should create positive political conditions for roll-out<\/strong>. We invite governments to act to improve the conditions for coverage and connectivity by improving the investment environment. This can happen through reasonable spectrum fees and siting costs as well as easier local deployment administrative procedures and favouring voluntary network sharing agreements (which will save energy), while rewarding energy efficiency in general. Contrary to this, obligations that would overall harm network deployment risk detrimental effects beyond the telecoms sector.<\/p>\n

While political support for deploying a new generation of networks is key, it is equally important the migration process and timeline from legacy to edge technologies remains driven by the operator and actual demand. This ensures the most efficient allocation of investment resources and stable connectivity. Accordingly, decision-makers should lower possible burdens for migration.<\/p>\n

2.2. Efficiency of operations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overall energy consumption of electronic communications networks is mainly driven by the amount of conveyed traffic<\/strong>, resulting from services used by our customers. Most of these services are offered by third parties over the internet.<\/p>\n

The scenarios of future traffic volume conveyed in telecoms networks vary greatly<\/strong> depending on the source. For an explanation of reasons for variations, please refer to the GSMA\u2019s Climate FAQs[2]<\/a>. While there is an increasing variety of services provided over the internet, analysts agree a main driver of traffic today and the future are streaming services.<\/p>\n

In any case, the current emissions<\/strong> of telecoms\u2019 and overall ICT are, in comparison to other industries, relatively small <\/strong>at only 1.4% of global carbon emissions and 4% of electricity use[3]<\/a>. Figures for Europe are similar.<\/p>\n

Traffic volumes are driven by the consumption of third parties\u2019 services, <\/strong>telecom operators are limited in their ability to manage the amount of traffic.[4]<\/a> This is primarily in the hands of users and third parties that provide their service over the internet. Therefore, policies should aim at fast-tracking the upgrading of our digital infrastructure to modern and even more resilient networks and launch a dialogue with service providers around the volume of traffic.<\/p>\n

The European Commission acknowledged the need for a dialogue and a holistic approach during the COVID-19 crisis when asking streaming service providers to optimise their content conveyed over telecoms\u2019 networks to avoid network congestions.<\/p>\n

Telecoms are constantly improving the efficiency<\/strong> of their energy consumption through optimising their processes, including the operation of networks[5]<\/a>. By rolling out AI and IoT based services, telecom operators can, for instance, carry out predictive maintenance and easily detect anomalies in their networks. Beyond undertakings\u2019 sustainability objectives, improving energy efficiency is also motivated by cost savings. When defining appropriate efficiency measures, also the impact on customers has to be considered <\/strong>and decision-makers should strive for a positive customer experience<\/strong>, e.g. avoiding an overly negative impact on the quality of a service.<\/p>\n

Through efficiency measures, telecoms have so far succeeded in keeping the energy consumption of their networks relatively stable<\/strong>, although the traffic volume has strongly increased in the last years. According to data from European operators, over 2010-18, data traffic increased by 1100%, while carbon emissions reduced by 40%, and electricity consumption increased by only 10%[6]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Telecom\u2019s data centres serve as crucial infrastructure for networks as well as ICT services<\/strong>, such as cloud services. Also, in this area, significant efforts have constantly improved energy efficiency<\/strong> with a recent study exploring global electricity use in data centres showing that while computing output from data centres went up six-fold from 2010 to 2018 electricity use increased only 6%[7]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While we are committed to continuing our efforts, new potential obligations need to be proportionate and avoid detrimental effects on other strategic objectives<\/strong> such as the EU\u2019s efforts to strengthen European Cloud services.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wiki\/energy-efficiency-2\/<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/mobile-for-development\/faqs-the-gsma-innovation-fund-for-climate-resilience-and-adaptation\/<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/mobile-for-development\/faqs-the-gsma-innovation-fund-for-climate-resilience-and-adaptation\/<\/p>\n

Including legal restrictions based on e.g. net neutrality.<\/p>\n

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3. Avoiding climate footprints<\/div><\/div>
<\/p>\n

The ICT and mobile industry is committed to decarbonisation and in February 2020 agreed a pathway to net-zero<\/strong> carbon emissions by 2050<\/strong>[1]<\/a>. Already, 29 operator groups representing 30% of global mobile connections are committed to the Science Based Targets for GHG emission reduction. For Europe, these include BT, Deutsche Telekom, Elisa, KPN, Magyar Telekom, Orange, Proximus, Swisscom, Tele2, Telef\u00f3nica, Telekom Austria, Telenor, Telia and Vodafone. Telecom Italia has set a target to be carbon-neutral by 2030.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

As telecom operators mainly rely on electricity to power their networks, they can relatively easily switch to renewables<\/strong> to lower their carbon footprint. Seven European operators are members of the RE100 campaign, committed to switching to 100% renewable electricity: BT, DT, KPN, Proximus, Swisscom, Telefonica, and Vodafone. This is done through a mix of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), Guarantees of Origin (bundled and unbundled) and self-generation.<\/p>\n

Buying green electricity with associated Guarantees of Origin (GO) and additional unbundled GOs where needed, are particularly crucial with regard to decreasing the carbon footprint in the shorter term<\/strong>, but especially PPAs are getting more and more important in the mid and long term.<\/p>\n

The demand for PPAs will increase over the years in the EU and right policy actions will be required to be able to meet that demand.<\/p>\n

Measures to improve energy efficiency and a circular economy are highly important but require a longer-term perspective and are not sufficient to reach carbon neutrality.<\/p>\n

Therefore, for those Scope 1 and 2 emissions that cannot be avoided, carbon offsets are the only remaining option. Currently, these measures are already used by quite a lot of telecoms with regard to their emissions.<\/p>\n

Concerning emissions that are largely out of an undertaking\u2019s control <\/strong>(Scope 3), there is the responsibility of each player along the value chain to contribute to climate targets.<\/p>\n

As such, ambitious interim targets for 2030<\/strong> require a mix of efficiency measures, renewables and (if unavoidable) offsets<\/strong> for own emissions (Scope 1, 2). Emissions up- and downstream value chain should be directly addressed <\/strong>by including all relevant stakeholders.<\/p>\n

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ICT Industry Agrees Landmark Science-Based Pathway to Reach Net Zero Emissions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n