The UN Sustainable Development Goals, EU Green Deal, Paris Climate Agreement, and numerous national initiatives adopted by individual governments all reveal there is no dearth of fora and mechanisms to demonstrate the public interest and global political will to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the recently published March 2022 BEREC draft report on sustainability in the connectivity sector, the digital sector’s impact is 2-4% compared to other industries.

Some industry stakeholders within the connectivity sector have gone beyond being content with these statistics. Many have already begun working towards tackling the energy intensive aspects of their operations and are currently prioritising sustainability. A number of operators have also announced their voluntary commitments to meeting ambitious goals by joining the European Green and Digital Coalition.

There is broad agreement that the ICT sector and digitalisation can have a favourable impact on international and regional climate targets, by enabling green and digital transitions. Companies in the connectivity sector claim they want to make responsible and sustainable investments. For them, one of the key challenges will be to balance their role as an enablers of green and digital transformations with operational resources required to implement their own sustainability efforts. Moreover, several of the EU’s Green Deal and Digital Decade 2030 targets require upgraded infrastructure and increased private investment.

Connectivity operators, within this consistently evolving sector, must contend with increased demand. They claim predictable and harmonised regulations will facilitate sustainable and responsible investments that also benefit consumers.

Relisten to this EURACTIV – GIGAEurope Digital Debate to find out how, through collective action and multi-stakeholder approaches, we can enable a green and digital transition that works for all. Discussed questions included:

-How does the current energy crisis, amplified by the current geopolitical situation, impact the Green Deal objectives and their implementation? How can green ICT contribute to a solution?
-What are the indices, metrics or KPIs that industry and stakeholders can agree to? How can industry, regulators, and policy makers reach a consensus on standardising data and methodologies?
-What should be taken into account when discussing the twin transition and the environmental footprint of the ICT sector?
-By what means should policy makers and stakeholders map sustainability-related actions in the sector and determine what should be counted towards these goals?