The accelerating global warming is causing serious impacts on humans, ecosystems and the economy. To respond to the situation, Telia Company launched a new environmental agenda in 2019.
Today, as the next milestone, the company presents new climate goals approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative.
”We are committed to help societies transform through connectivity and digital solutions while taking full responsibility for our own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Setting Science Based Targets is a way for us to demonstrate our commitment to drive sustainable growth,” says Telia Company’s President and CEO, Allison Kirkby.
In 2019, as a response to one of the greatest challenges of our time, Telia Company adopted its Daring Goals. The Daring Goals represent an ambitious environmental agenda which includes a commitment to achieve a climate-neutral value chain by 2030. Since then several milestones have been reached. Telia has shifted to 100% renewable electricity in its own operations and decided to achieve climate neutrality in its own operations this year, two years ahead of set target date. Both customers and suppliers have been invited to join Telia to achieve the goals through innovation, leverage and collaboration.
The new Science Based Targets (SBTs) released today represent another milestone on the road to zero. The SBTs cover the full value chain (scopes 1-3). By 2025, Telia Company will:
• Halve emissions from its own operations,
• Reduce the emissions related to use of sold and leased products by 29%, and
• Engage with suppliers so that 72% of suppliers by emissions will have set science-based targets.
The starting point is a baseline calculation for 2018 that has been conducted together with expert partner Carbon Trust.
The SBTs are based on the 1.5° C pathway for the telecommunications sector and have been externally approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. Science conclusively shows the importance of limiting the global average temperature increase to 1.5° C compared to pre-industrial levels – today temperatures have gone up to 1.2° C.
“Now is the time to turn knowledge into accelerated action and create hope. For Telia Company this is about bringing our values to life, taking responsibility and capturing new business opportunities. Already today we enable our customers to significantly reduce their carbon emissions through the services that we provide. But our deliveries also generate emissions in our operations and supply chain – and acting on that will be key to create a resilient and future-proof business and value chain,” says Allison Kirkby.
