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Becoming a Green Telco: Top Benefits of Eco-Friendly Policies

December 16, 2022

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In recent years, sustainability and awareness of environmental issues have been some of the hottest topics among individuals and companies around the world. As more and more people begin to shop sustainably, eat sensibly, and lead environmentally friendly lifestyles, environmentalism is becoming an area worth focusing on. Even if small efforts count, ensuring a more sustainable lifestyle requires the combined efforts of all social actors, including companies worldwide. For telecommunications companies, the issue of sustainability has become urgent, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced telco infrastructures to consume more energy than ever before, expanding their carbon footprint.

In this article, we will highlight some key environmentally friendly measures that telecom businesses have taken in their quest to become sustainable.

Contributing to Reducing CO2 Emissions

According to a BCG report, the ICT industry is responsible for approximately 3% to 4% of global CO2 emissions. Since telecommunications represent a significant portion of the ICT industry, most major telcos have agreed to work toward carbon neutrality by 2050, a goal supported by the GSMA. Most companies have begun implementing environmental sustainability policies, as more and more customers and businesses want and expect to engage with carbon-neutral telecom operators. Energy efficient devices, IT-based decision-making, remote working, automation, dematerialization, device-as-a-service, or packaging control are just some measures telecommunication companies can take to reduce CO2 emissions.

Recycling and Reusing

Reducing, reusing, and recycling can help your company to cut down on costs. A simple example is the way your company uses paper. You can ask your team to avoid printing all materials or reduce the amount of paper they use by printing on both sides of the sheet. At the same time, you can encourage your employees to use recycled paper when they take notes or print out something informal and insignificant. This small measure, if implemented effectively, can greatly reduce paper costs, while also helping you reduce the amount of resource-intensive waste. Recycling devices and opting for refurbished equipment should also be standard practice in the telecom industry. Always remember that by choosing refurbished electronics you are making a positive impact on the environment, as the life span of existing devices is prolonged.

Good Practices Can Attract Good Talent

Examples of good practices can attract both new customers and responsible employees. Promoting a sustainable lifestyle can make a huge difference to other businesses that do not have environmentally friendly policies in place. For example, encouraging your employees to bring their own homemade lunches, and opting for biodegradable lunchboxes, will help reduce the number of resources used by restaurants to prepare food and the number of plastic lunchboxes used by many retailers. This best practice example would underline the competitiveness of your company in the market, thanks to the values it promotes.

Being Less Dependent on Finite Resources

If you adopt eco-friendly policies and encourage employees to reuse materials and even give up some resources they don’t need, you become less dependent on resources such as paper, new printers, and cabinets for storing the various printed documents. This practice will ensure your long-term success, while reducing the many costs and concerns that come from keeping your company supplied with many depletable resources

Going green obviously means switching to various types of renewable energy. In recent years, more and more companies have installed solar panels, after realizing the tremendous benefits of green energy. Using solar energy not only creates a positive image for a company, but it also provides a more cost-effective energy source that also benefits the environment. As of October 24, 2022, the combined annual green power use of EPA’s Top 100 Partners amounts to nearly 82 billion kilowatt-hours, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of nearly 7.7 million average American households. The top 5 companies in the US using renewable energy are Google, Microsoft, T-Mobile, Procter & Gamble, and Walmart. 

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry experienced unprecedented global demand for communications, accelerated mainly by remote work. This has led to the ICT industry consuming more energy than ever before. The telecommunications companies that adopt green and sustainable business practices are undoubtedly more visible in the industry and more appealing to good talent.