GSMA tasks govts on energy market as 62% of operators cut emissions

THE number of mobile operators committed to rapid emissions cuts has increased by more than 50 per cent over the last year, according to the Global System for Mobile telecommunications Association ( GSMA).

GSMA in its 2022 Mobile Net Zero Report revealed that 49 operators representing 62 per cent of the industry by revenue have now committed to rapidly cutting emissions over the next decade.

It pointed out that this represents an increase of 18 operators since 2020, despite the challenges of COVID- 19, adding that 50 per cent of mobile network operators by revenue have now committed to net- zero targets by 2050 or earlier.

Despite double- digit growth in data traffic and the global expansion of 5G networks, the report showed that operators successfully limited increases in carbon emissions to two per cent on average in 2021. The telecoms body said investment in more energyefficient network equipment and lower- carbon energy sources helped industry players limit their carbon impact, even as networks grew significantly to meet consumer demand.

GSMA, which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting over 750 operators with near 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including Nigeria, observed that whilst further work is needed to reduce emissions to hit its net zero ambition for 2050, the mobile industry continues to make meaningful progress in successfully decoupling data traffic with electricity use and carbon emissions. It dis - closed that data traffic was up

31 per cent last year, with electricity up five per cent, but associated carbon emissions only grew by two per cent.

To boost energy efficiency, the industry is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence, machine learning and virtualization to optimise power use in equipment, centralise network resources and avoid unnecessary heating or air- conditioning.

Harnessing operational efficiencies, operators are transitioning to more renewable electricity, with 18 per cent of total electricity consumption sourced from renewable sources during 2021, up from 14 per cent in 2020. Given the electricity demand to power mobile networks, the GSMA continued to call on governments to create suitable energy market frameworks for businesses to access renewable electricity at a competitive price.