TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE: RESPONSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS
Since the publication of the Stern report last year, a greater proportion of the global business community has taken notice of the issue of climate change. Every day another organisation announces a new corporate or product-related carbon-reducing initiative to the media.
Does the telecommunications sector also have primary responsibilities when it comes to ‘reducing its carbon footprint’? The answer is an unqualified yes.
Like all energy-consuming businesses, they have a role to play in reducing emissions. The question remains as to whether it is simply a call of duty for Communications Providers, or an environment-enhancing business opportunity?
Stephen Young, Principal Analyst at Ovum, stated in his report
Climate Change and the Telco, that telcos are, concurrently, victims, villains and heroes of climate change.
He said: "Telcos can be victims of climate change, where their activities are adversely affected by the increasing number of severe weather events. They can be villains too, producing emissions which contribute to global warming, and they can be heroes of climate change, with the potential to reduce climate change in other industrial and domestic sectors, particularly transport, through a reduction in carbon emissions."
TRAVEL SUBSTITUTE
Stephen Young’s reference to reduced carbon emissions is partly a nod towards the use of technology as a substitute for travel, a cause BT has championed for some years.
And BT’s head of climate change, Donna Young (no relation) agrees that this is the key to Communication Providers having a major opportunity on their hands."ICT – whether it be an enabler for homeworking, flexible working, videoconferencing etc – can become part of the solution," she said. "Not necessarily all of the solution – but certainly part of it.
"However, although there is a growth opportunity, it really is all about how you present yourself. There’s an increasing need to be able to demonstrate your green credentials to your customers."
"I know it’s something that more and more of BT’s customers are asking for, and we like to think we are in a strong position to satisfy their demands."
For carriers though the scrutiny is spreading further into the network. Felix Atkin is the project manager tasked with pulling together BT Wholesale’s environmental initiatives into a cohesive structure. He believes that as long as it is possible to balance the costs of taking action, significant change is possible.
"My biggest challenge is trying to change the mindset that says ‘we can’t have a commercial benefit to new products if we want to think about the environment.’ Well it’s not true – we can do both, there is a compromise.
ENERGY FOR CHANGE
Atkin cited an important example that illustrates how easy it is to find opportunities for change – and some of the challenges in making it happen.
To reduce energy usage, BT Wholesale supports BT Operate both in the use of DC power and fresh air cooling in Data Centres and the principle of virtualisation of services to reduce energy consumption and complexity. Atkin says it is also about leading by example – such as offering greener services to BT Wholesale customers so they in turn can offer greener products. This means taking environmental factors into account for all future product development.
He continues: "To determine how to further reduce our energy usage, BT Wholesale is acting as lead agent in defining the European Union Broadband Code of Conduct, including rules on energy consumption of broadband equipment, which will apply to all European carriers. It is also reviewing how the significant 21CN equipment investment can take into account sustainability and environmental factors while balancing the short-term additional costs against longer-term efficiency savings; ultimately, however, providing a world-class service or product remains our number one priority."
INCREASED EFFICIENCY THROUGH 21CN
21CN will enable BT Wholesale to further reduce its carbon footprint. By deploying the latest technology and removing the legacy PSTN equipment, 21CN will require 100,000 fewer components within the network than are used today. This, coupled with increased automation, will reduce BT’s energy consumption. Examples include the further reduction of electricity and cooling/air conditioning requirements and a fall in the number of times engineers will need to travel for onsite maintenance visits.
MOTIVATING PEOPLE
Atkin continues: "The rewarding aspect of working in the environmental field is that everyone so passionate and excited about it. You are not just thinking about yourself, you are thinking about future generations. It is not difficult to motivate people to act; we just need to show big business how to create change quickly – reducing usage while also making money.
One example of this grass roots approach is in the approach to recycling: "We have motivated BTW employees to embrace the launch of a new recycling scheme in our major buildings. We are removing waste paper bins from under each employee’s desk and replacing them with communal recycling stations. Currently, all recycling is carried out off-site by contractors, however the new policy encourages recycling to be sorted on-site at the source. This initiative is supported by the BTW environment people network, where individuals are working within small teams to tackle climate change problems both big and small."
Donna Young believes that any Communications Provider, big or small, is in a position to make a real difference.
"For example, I’d urge Communications Providers to scrutinise every individual part of their business and see how they can squeeze out CO² emissions from their processes and activities. They should also talk to their suppliers to make sure they are buying energy-efficient products and services."
Overall, telecommunications companies need to sit up and take notice of the big climate change debate. Because it could well be that they have more reason than most to ensure they are recognising the challenges, taking on the responsibilities and planning for the potential opportunities that clearly exist.