Our networks and sustainability: two sides of the same coin

Covid-19 showed us to what degree our societies can transform when required. We changed our habits, our daily actions, reoriented our priorities. The European Commission responded swiftly with a recovery plan to build a post-Covid Europe that is greener and more digital. The resources mobilized for the climate and environmental protection are unprecedented. But unprecedented is also the task. All sectors of society must contribute to ensure success. So, businesses must take their share of responsibility too. After all, we all depend on the same planet.

OTE parent company, Deutsche Telekom is bound to set the example. We want to be the leading digital Telco, also in terms of sustainability. Sustainability is part of our Group strategy. We lead by example, aiming to reduce our environmental footprint and lay the foundations for a digital society for all.

Carbon neutral by 2040

Emissions of greenhouse gases have increased substantially over the past decades. This is leading to significant impacts, extreme weather events, rising sea levels, floods and fires. We, as DT Group, have committed ourselves to ambitious climate goals. By 2025 we will bring our own direct and indirect energy consumption to zero emissions and by 2040 we will be climate-neutral along the value chain. From 2021 onwards, 100% of electricity used at Deutsche Telekom, worldwide, is coming from renewable energy sources. OTE Group has been at the forefront, using 100% renewable energy sources for its electricity consumption, since 2020.

The value of circularity

Global warming, pollution of oceans, biodiversity loss, resource depletion and unprecedented volumes of waste going to landfill, are pushing the environmental limits of our planet. In 2022, we reached the world overshoot day already on July 28^th. Five months “early” we had spent all resources that our planet can provide. We can’t ignore the facts.

We hold in our hands one of the most powerful instruments to tackle the triple climate change, loss of biodiversity and environmental pollution: circular economy. Circular economy is essential for moving away from a take-make-consume-dispose approach towards responsibly managing the natural capital of future generations.

With a joint pan-European approach, we at DT incentivized people about our take-back schemes for used mobile devices. With every device brought back to us, we financially support local environmental protection initiatives. Our target is the collection of 500,000 devices by 2024 and we are on track. In 2022, more than 280,000 pcs of mobile devices were collected. I am happy to say that the ΟΤΕ Group made it to more than 150,000 pcs of mobile devices and supported the Mediterranean Cleanup project of the non-profit company ENALEIA to clean up more than 7,000 kg of plastic from the sea and coastlines in 4 Greek islands.

Plus: we are helping our customers to make a sustainable choice: together with other big European telco operators we have launched an industry-wide Eco Rating scheme to evaluate the environmental impact of the entire process of production, use and disposal of mobile phones – and make this transparent for consumers.

Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental problems worldwide. At DT in Germany, we have already banned all single use plastic from our own branded products.  Across our European footprint all newly launched own branded products will have a sustainable packaging within this year. We are also collaborating with our suppliers on innovative ways of new packaging.

An inclusive digital society

The onset of the global pandemic has accelerated how digital transformation is permeating every aspect of our lives. However, the gap between the connected and the unconnected is still undeniable. We firmly believe that technology should be inclusive and commit ourselves to three key pillars for digital inclusion: access, ability and affordability.

The heart of what we do is our network. Deutsche Telekom is the leading fiber and 5G company in Europe. Across our European footprint, our fiber offers 8.1 million households/companies access to future-proof technology, while the population coverage of our 5G network have reached 47.4%. In Greece, with some €5 billion investments over the past decade and an investment plan exceeding €3 billion through 2027, OTE Group is bringing FTTH to 3 million households and businesses in Greece. Thereby OTE Group will cover almost 2/3 of Greece’s lines with fiber to the home.

We promise to lead our customers into a future where digital technology is accessible to all and accelerates growth.  Where economy and sustainability go hand in hand. Where we not only respect environmental boundaries but actively contribute to sustainability across every market we operate in. In what is one of the biggest economic transitions, the Telco industry assumes an essential role both as enabler and engine of a greener economy, social stability, and sustainable growth in Europe. We walk our talk.