Energy Efficiency with Deutsche Telekom
Energy Efficiency is one of the four pillars of Deutsche Telekom’s climate strategy and an integral lever to achieve their net zero targets. In 2023, Deutsche Telekom set itself a new, ambitious net zero target: to reduce its value chain emissions by 55% until 2030 and reach net zero across the whole value chain by 2040. They are aiming for an absolute emissions reduction of 90% compared to 2020, leaving a maximum of 10% to be neutralised via high-quality carbon removal projects. The targets have been validated and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.
As one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies, with some 245 million mobile customers and its mobile network infrastructure in 12 countries, the majority of Deutsche Telekom’s energy requirements come from operating network infrastructure (mobile and fixed-line).
In response to the rapid growth in data traffic and the resultant need for network expansion, Deutsche Telekom has committed to doubling its energy efficiency in Germany and Europe by 2024, relative to 2020 levels to eliminate a corresponding rise in energy consumption.
In a Group-wide technology-innovation project, they are studying and developing new ways of making their network operations even more energy-efficient and sustainable. Two key means of reducing energy consumption are network modernisation and the phasing-out of old technologies.
One example of network modernisation is the so-called Cell-Sleep Mode, where antennas are partly switched off whenever the full capacity is not needed. In 2023, the German operation alone saved 13 GWh of electricity resulting in savings of more than 50 GWh across the Group’s operations.
In future, the increasing use of artificial intelligence within Deutsche Telekom’s network infrastructure has the potential to make it even more efficient and sustainable. AI can calculate forecasts to predict how much bandwidth will be needed and when. When only a small volume of data traffic is anticipated, lanes can be deactivated accordingly. Networked sensors simultaneously record the actual data traffic and quickly activate additional lanes if more bandwidth than estimated by the AI is needed.
Deutsche Telekom is also phasing out old technology with the 3G network in Germany being retired in 2021. The subsidiaries in Slovakia and Montenegro followed suit in 2023. Additionally, Deutsche Telekom is phasing out old fixed-line technologies like SDH and PSTN.
To ensure consistent energy efficiency, Deutsche Telekom is also reducing energy consumption as part of its internal remuneration targets. The results speak for themselves: by implementing energy efficiency measures and buying in renewable energy alone, Deutsche Telekom’s Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions are more than 94% lower than in 2017. Deutsche Telekom also drives an increase of new renewable energy. In 2023, a Power Purchase Agreement for a new offshore windpark was signed that will add 400 GWh of renewable energy to the grid.