NETZERO
The telecommunications industry is the backbone of the digital economy , connecting billions of people to education , jobs , social media , retail and entertainment . But this connectivity comes with a significant environmental cost , as greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase with our ever-growing reliance on digital services . But hope isn ’ t lost . The same spirit of innovation that developed digital technologies can be used to create a more sustainable telecom industry – one that embraces mobility to shift workloads toward renewable energy sources .
The carbon footprint of telecommunications The telecommunications industry is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions .
It already accounts for up to 10 % of the world ’ s energy usage , a number that will only increase as businesses and consumers use more digital devices and connect to more digital services . Some studies project that telecommunications will account for as much as 20 % of global emissions by 2030 .
But what are the key drivers of telecom emissions ? Data centres burn through enormous amounts of electricity , generating as much CO2 as the airline industry . Infrastructure and data traffic associated with the proliferation of 5G is another major factor that could double - or even triple - the industry ’ s overall energy consumption . And we ’ re only beginning to grasp how artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions may push demand higher in the years to come .
These are trends that cannot be ignored . Numerous telecommunications industry leaders have committed to achieving net zero or carbon neutrality as part of their
sustainabilitymag . com 101