22 out of 32 studied European incumbent telecoms operators now have targets to reach carbon neutrality across their operations and supply chains (scopes 1-3). Other operators, such as OTE and Telekom Slovenije have introduced targets to become carbon neutral in their own operations (scopes 1 and 2), while Magyar Telekom has been carbon neutral in its own operations since 2015.

Carbon neutrality is achieved when the amount of CO2 a company emits is matched by the amount of CO2 that is absorbed, for example through carbon offset programs.

One way that operators seek to reduce their emissions is by entering into power purchasing agreement (PPAs) with electricity producers. PPAs are usually long-term contracts for the provision of sustainably-generated electricity.

Of the 32 operators studied, 24 have issued targets to purchase a certain amount of electricity from sustainable sources. Half of the studied operators already purchase 100% of their electricity from sustainable sources.

These are some of the conclusions from the May 2024 update of Cullen International’s benchmark on sustainability targets for incumbent telecoms operators.

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