Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Achieving Climate Targets
Guidance and support for operators to reduce carbon emissions
Taking climate action to meet science-based targets requires bringing the whole organisation along with you. It’s a transformation programme that affects most parts of a company including employee engagement, operations, communications, procurement, marketing, finance and the leadership team.
The GSMA has been working with our members to understand the challenges they face when taking climate action, and to provide targeted support where possible. This section covers key resources that will help successfully achieve climate targets.
Achieving Climate Targets
A step-by-step guide for mobile network operators to achieve near-term science-based targets. This guide builds on the Setting Climate Targets guide published in 2020, and is aligned by the ICT sectoral target-setting approach.
The guide is presented in two sections, the first is an overview of setting science-based targets and current climate action across the ICT sector. The second presents a three-step process for mobile network operators to achieve science-based targets, including an overview of carbon reduction opportunities across Scopes 1, 2 and 3.
Launch Event
Watch the recording of this engaging LinkedIn Live session that delved into strategies and actionable steps for mobile network operators to achieve their net zero targets.
The session explains the content of the GSMA’s ‘Achieving Climate Targets‘ guide and offers practical measures on how to reduce carbon emissions, drawn from best practices across the industry including speakers from BT, TDC NET, Vodafone and the Carbon Trust.
The session explains the content of the GSMA’s ‘Achieving Climate Targets‘ guide and offers practical measures on how to reduce carbon emissions, drawn from best practices across the industry including speakers from BT, TDC NET, Vodafone and the Carbon Trust.
How to Topic Deep Dives
Climate action within the mobile industry is focused on four key areas: energy use, supply chain emissions, the transition to renewable electricity and digital transformation. The GSMA has created deep dives on each of these areas with analyses and best practice as well as advocacy recommendations.
Transition to Renewable Energy
Electricity used to power mobile networks is often sourced from fossil fuels. Switching to renewable electricity, whether onsite or through the grid, is one of the fastest ways for mobile network operators to decarbonise.
This section provided technical advice to enable operators to decide which type of renewable electricity to source, as well as case studies from operators who have already successfully switched
Increasing Energy Efficiency
With more data being transferred across mobile networks, there is upward pressure on energy use. This is challenging for network energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets.
Operators can tackle this challenge by considering energy efficiency at all levels of the network from network design to site efficiency as well as that of equipment and components.
Engaging with the Supply Chain
In evaluating the whole value chain of the mobile sector, a significant proportion of carbon emissions result from the manufacture of network equipment and mobile devices.
Operators are increasingly engaging with suppliers to help them disclose their climate impacts and set reduction targets. The industry as a whole is also moving towards more circularity around repair and recycling of equipment to tackle the problem of e-waste.
Digitialisation Decreasing Carbon Emissions
All sectors of the economy are experiencing a shift online. This expansion of smart technologies and the use of smartphones can greatly support our climate efforts if harnessed in the right way.
Smart technologies have the power to create huge efficiencies, and smartphones mean we can live, work, learn, shop, play and receive medical care as never before. Our research and case studies show what is already happening and how mobile operators are exploring new business opportunities.