The Indian telecom sector accounts for approximately 1 per cent of the country’s total carbon dioxide emissions, significantly higher than the global telecom average of 0.7 per cent. This gap highlights India’s slower progress in emission reduction compared to global standards. The industry’s poor performance in carbon mitigation can be attributed to lax regulations, such as voluntary carbon disclosure and under-reporting of emissions.
However, Indian telecom firms are now adopting ESG (environmental, social and governance) policies and launching sustainable initiatives. Embracing sustainability is crucial not only for reducing the sector’s carbon footprint but also for unlocking cost-saving opportunities. According to a report by McKinsey, companies can reduce energy costs by 15-30 per cent through decarbonisation efforts. In recent years, Indian telcos have made significant strides in reducing their carbon footprint.
Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel has set an ambitious target to reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50.2 per cent by 2030-31, with 2020-21 as the baseline year. In addition, the company is committed to reducing its Scope 3 emissions by 42 per cent over the same period. These targets align with Airtel’s participation in the GSMA initiative and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Further, in line with the GSMA’s target under the Carbon Action Plan for the telecom industry, Airtel aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
To meet these goals, Airtel is actively expanding its use of green energy across its operations. To this end, it has installed open access renewable energy and solar power capacity. One notable initiative is the solarisation of towers, which involves the on-site installation of solar panels to produce renewable energy at network sites, contributing to renewable energy generation of 1,497,939 kWh. Meanwhile, in financial year 2024, Airtel procured 214,882 MWh of renewable energy through open access agreements for its operations.
Airtel is also working to convert 93 per cent of its network sites into “green sites”, which are more eco-friendly. It promotes network site sharing with partners to optimise resource consumption, resulting in 8.8 per cent of new sites being co-located.
In addition, Airtel’s efforts include collaborating with state electricity regulatory commissions (SERCs) to remove operational bottlenecks and support green energy policies. By March 2024, 12 states and union territories had adopted new green energy open access regulations. The operator also launched a pilot project in Karnataka in collaboration with Indus Towers to utilise green energy under the new regulations.
During 2023-24, Airtel achieved a 61 per cent reduction in network diesel emission intensity and a 43 per cent reduction in grid electricity emission intensity compared to the 2020-21 baseline. To reduce its fossil fuel dependency, it implemented energy-saving strategies across its network infrastructure, including deploying lithium-ion and valve-regulated lead-acid batteries to optimise energy use and reduce diesel dependence.
In a recent development, Airtel has collaborated with Nokia for the “Green 5G” initiative, which focuses on the implementation of energy-efficient solutions across Airtel’s 4G and 5G radio access networks. This project leverages artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced software features to improve energy efficiency during both peak and off-peak hours, resulting in an estimated carbon annual reduction of 143,413 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions.
By 2023-24, Airtel had deployed solar-powered systems at around 25,000 sites and significantly increased the use of renewable energy at its data centres, sourcing 220,541 MWh through green power wheeling agreements and captive rooftop solar plants.
Reliance Jio
Jio has set ambitious emission reduction targets, approved by SBTi, in line with the Paris Agreement. The operator aims to reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 76 per cent by financial year 2029, with financial year 2020 as the baseline year. In addition, Jio is committed to cutting Scope 3 GHG emissions by 66.5 per cent by financial year 2029. Jio is also committed to increasing its renewable electricity sourcing from 1.19 per cent in financial year 2020 to 100 per cent by 2029-30, with a long-term objective of achieving net carbon-zero status by 2035.
Jio’s decarbonisation strategy for Scope 1 and 2 emissions focuses on enhancing energy efficiency and transitioning its network infrastructure to renewable energy sources. By March 2024, Jio had installed distributed solar panels at more than 20,000 sites across India, delivering a cumulative capacity of 174 MW. In addition, Jio commissioned a 35 MW centralised solar power plant in Bidar, Karnataka, which powers its network and saves 39,184 tCO2e annually. For Scope 3 emissions, Jio is focused on achieving 100 per cent renewable energy use and collaborating with upstream partners on energy efficiency initiatives. The operator is also encouraging suppliers to report their GHG emissions, set reduction targets and transition to renewable energy sources.
Jio has also undertaken extensive projects to reduce carbon emissions across its network infrastructure. Between April and December 2023, the operator installed photovoltaic (PV) systems at 20,340 tower sites, generating 119,020 MWh of green energy. This approach, targeting areas with shadow-free land availability, resulted in a substantial reduction of 84,504 tCO2e.
Looking ahead, Jio is expanding its green energy portfolio by leveraging power wheeling agreements with third-party renewable energy providers. The company is also establishing a fuel cell gigafactory, which will eventually replace internal combustion engines with fuel cell engines. These engines will power a range of applications, including vehicles such as trucks and buses, and stationary systems for data centres and telecom towers, emergency generators and industrial equipment.
Vi
Vi remains committed to reducing GHG emissions across its operations, focusing on mitigating its environmental and social impact. As part of its Green Idea and Energy and Carbon Management Policy, the company has implemented several key measures, including optimising the energy performance of infrastructure, procuring energy-efficient telecom hardware and encouraging infrastructure provider partners to adopt low-carbon practices.
The company has made significant strides towards its sustainability goals. Over 75 per cent of Vi’s base transceiver station (BTS) portfolio now consists of outdoor units, which consume 20 per cent less energy compared to indoor BTSs. Under its diesel elimination project, more than 11,700 sites have successfully reduced their diesel usage, reducing the company’s overall carbon footprint. Furthermore, Vi ensures that all telecom hardware procured by it is energy efficient, helping lower power consumption across operations.
The company has adopted a site-sharing approach for new deployments, with 95 per cent of new sites co-located at existing 2G or shared sites. This strategy has been instrumental in reducing both energy consumption and carbon emissions. The company has also implemented energy-saving features such as power-saving modes during low-traffic periods, further improving efficiency.
In addition, Vi has implemented cloud architecture for all new packet core deployments and MSS/VoLTE circuit core set-ups, streamlining energy use. The company has also taken steps to install solar-based power generation systems at over 400 co-owned tower sites, further highlighting its commitment to renewable energy sources.
Towards a greener future
Despite efforts to create a sustainability index for the telecom sector, carbon emissions from powering telecom networks continue to rise, driven by growing demand for digital communication, particularly in developing countries. To address this, stakeholders must focus on building environmentally sustainable infrastructure and assess the role of regulations and policies in driving emission reductions.
