Telefónica has made substantial progress with its environmental sustainability deadlines and is now committed to cuts across its global operational emissions by the end of this decade.

The Spanish telco has set itself the goal to slash its Scope 1 (direct emissions from company-owned and controlled resources) and Scope 2 (indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy) emissions by 90% by 2030. It has also pledged to cut its Scope 3 (those produced within the value chain) emissions by 56% within the same timeframe.

These ambitions are supported by the telco’s claim that it is already “ahead of schedule”, having achieved an 80% reduction in emissions by 2022, eight years before its initial deadline. “This commitment will allow it to reach net zero emissions by 2040, including its value chain,” the company noted.

Maya Ormazabal, Telefónica’s director of environment and human rights, emphasised that the telco’s sustainability efforts will be enabled by the company’s Climate Action Plan, as well as through the deployment of “more efficient networks such as fibre and 5G,” the promotion of renewable energy and the reduction of emissions from fuels and refrigerant gases.