Reducing the carbon footprint of companies has become a priority as climate change accelerates on a global scale. Many African telecom operators have already taken initiatives in this direction.
Telecom tower manager IHS Towers on Monday (24 October) unveiled a roadmap for reducing its carbon emissions in its African markets, among others. The company says it is aiming for a 50% reduction in emissions intensity per kilowatt-hour of its tower portfolio by 2030.
The roadmap begins with Project Green under which IHS Towers plans to invest USD 214 million between 2022 and 2024 to reduce the carbon footprint of its telecom sites in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Kuwait, Nigeria , Rwanda and Zambia. According to the company, reliance on diesel generators is generally higher in these markets.
Project Green is expected to deliver leveraged cash flow savings of $77 million annually to IHS Towers in 2025. These savings will be realized by connecting more sites to the electricity grid and through the deployment and integration of battery storage solutions and solar panels.
This announcement comes as more and more mobile operators commit to reducing their carbon footprint. In its 2022 Mobile Net Zero Report, the GSMA says 49 operators representing 62% of the industry by revenue have now pledged to rapidly reduce emissions over the next decade. This represents an increase of 18 operators since 2020.
In Africa, telecom operators such as MTN South Africa, Vodacom Group, Orange, Unitel have already implemented initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint.
Sam Darwish, President and CEO of IHS Towers, said, “ The true benefits of mobile connectivity can only be realized if we and our industry continue to grow in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Our Carbon Reduction Roadmap is the next step in our journey to reduce our carbon footprint by setting tangible emissions targets .”