Nowadays, it’s difficult to ignore the words sustainability, climate action, or carbon neutrality—and quite rightly so. 

According to data from this 2021 BCG report, as an industry, telecoms generate 1.6% of all carbon emissions (almost 90% of which comes from Scope 3 emissions). Indeed, the overall ICT sector which comprises telecoms is responsible for 3-4% of all global emissions, and shockingly, equating to twice the levels of the aviation industry. If left unmanaged, the telecoms industry could be responsible for up to 14% of global CO2 emissions by 2040. This will only grow as data demands increase and consumers own more devices. This is forcing severe conversation about sustainability and net zero ambitions amongst service providers and vendors. 

In an attempt to remedy the impact telecoms has on our planet, the industry — led by the GSMA — has set ambitions to transform itself to reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. The GSMA is also encouraging the industry to think about how operators can support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by embedding these into their overall corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and prioritizing relevant goals that will see them have the greatest impact. In fact, some major operators are now leading the change by adopting SDGs as a key part of building a greener future and helping society thrive.

So as mobile data continues to grow, legacy networks are being shut down and more 5G networks are deployed, how can the industry curb its impact on carbon emission and on our planet? One option is to look at more resource-efficient software solutions, such as cloud-native software.