During the EU Green Week 2022, the GSMA hosted a #GSMAconnected series event “How the Mobile Industry can help Europe reach its ambitious climate goals?”. Vesa Terävä, Head of Unit, European Green Deal, European Commission, gave opening remarks and highlighted the progress, ambitions, and current challenges of the EU Green Deal. The GSMA presented its State of the Industry report on Climate Action: Mobile Net Zero 2022 , highlighting that the European operators are leading the way compared to other regions. An engaged discussion between participants covered the risks and opportunities of climate action, the importance of mobile connectivity and digitisation, the enablement effect, and the taxation aspect.
Key highlights from the event:
- EU Green Deal: The European Commission’s proposal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 sets Europe on a responsible path to becoming climate neutral by 2050. This is an ambitious plan and all industries have a role to play.
- Mobile Industry’s Commitment to Net Zero: The GSMA Board set a milestone ambition – to transform the mobile industry to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, at the latest! The sector worked on industry-wide climate action roadmap to achieve this goal.
- Operators are also committing to environmental transparency by disclosing its environmental impact through the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). In fact, by 2021, 60 mobile operators providing 69% of the world’s mobile connections disclosed their climate impacts, risks and opportunities to CDP.
- Focus on energy: Operators care about energy consumption and are taking action. The primary ways mobile network operators are mitigating their own emissions are through energy efficient initiatives, the sourcing of renewable energies and carbon offsetting.
- Enabling other industries: Mobile technology has an immense capacity to globally reduce the impact of climate change, though the digitisation of wider industries.
- Research published by the GSMA for COP26 in Glasgow, based on Carbon Trust modelling, showed that mobile connectivity can enable up to 40% of the required carbon reductions needed by 2030 in four key sectors: buildings, energy, transport and manufacturing.
Mobile Net Zero: State of the Industry on Climate Action 2022 report
This report is the second annual assessment of how the mobile industry is progressing against the ambition to be net zero by 2050.
Covering the risks and opportunities of climate action, carbon emissions of the industry, digitisation and the enablement effect, energy efficiency and mobile connectivity, the transition to renewable electricity, mobile industry supply chain and adaptation and resilience this report is an in-depth analysis of how the mobile industry is doing on climate action.
#GSMAConnected Series: Small scale Big impact
This event is part of #GSMAConnected Series of Events (formerly Mobile Meetings Series). These are small-scale, invitation-only meetings that provide a setting to explore, from broader stakeholder’s perspective, EU policy issues that are central to the development of the mobile industry. This event will be held under Chatham House rules. Registration will be limited to one representative per company.
For more information please contact
Steven Moore
Head of Climate Action, GSMA
Rita De Castro
Director of Policy, GSMA
Rita de Castro has 15 years’ experience in European public and regulatory affairs, with a strong focus on the digital and telecom sectors, and a mix of international private sector and public sector experience.
Rita worked in the European Commission Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT). She was EU Affairs Manager for Hutchison Europe (Three Group). Having also worked for a consultancy specialising in European public and regulatory affairs advising FTSE 100 clients, Rita has extensive experience in the sector.
Rita holds a Master in European Political & Administrative Studies from the College of Europe. She graduated from Lisbon Nova University. A Portuguese native, she is also fluent in English, French and Spanish.