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ITU Workshop on “Reducing your carbon footprint – A guide to Scope 3 GHG reporting for telecommunication operators”

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in collaboration with GSMA and GeSI, organized a Workshop on “Reducing your carbon footprint – A guide to Scope 3 GHG reporting for telecommunication operators”, which took place virtually on the 11 July 2023 from 15h00 to 16h30 CEST.

Introduction

The telecommunication industry plays a critical role in connecting people and enabling digital transformation. However, this industry also contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, not only from its own operations, but also from its supply chain and product use. Scope 3 GHG emissions, which are indirect emissions from the value chain, are becoming increasingly important for companies to address as part of their sustainability efforts. With COP28 fast approaching, now more than ever the telecommunication industry must act to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. To help support the industry, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the GSMA (mobile industry association) and the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) organized this event to launch its new guidance on Scope 3 for telecommunication operators.

Objectives

This event brought together experts in the field to discuss the challenges and opportunities for telecommunication companies in calculating and reducing their scope 3 emissions. This event provided a high-level overview of the newly released guide on Scope 3 Guidance for telecommunication operators. This Guidance harmonizes methods for telecommunication operators to allocate, calculate and report their scope 3 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, in order to improve accuracy, coverage and transparency. This guidance is intended to supplement, not supersede, existing standards.

Target audience

This event was expected to be attended by representatives from around the world including, top policymakers, private sector practitioners, UN agencies, academia, civil society, other regional organizations, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders. Participation in the workshop was free of charge and open to all.

Watch recording here

Programme

15:00 - 15:10 CEST	Opening Remarks Seizo Onoe, Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU Steven Moore, Head of Climate Action, GSMA John Pflueger, Co-chair, Climate Committee, GeSI
15:10 - 15:55 CEST	Session 1: Measuring Emissions: The Key to Achieving the Paris Agreement Goals This panel discussion brought together experts from various sectors to explore the critical role of emissions assessment in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. The panel discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with monitoring emissions from the supply value chain, and the importance of harmonize assessment approach. Moderator: Steven Moore, Head of Climate Action, GSMA Massamba Thioye, Project Executive, UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub, UNFCCC Secretariat Dexter Galvin, Chief Commercial and Partnerships Officer, CDP Pernilla Bergmark, Principal researcher, ICT sustainability impacts, Ericsson Louise Rehbinder, Director, Exponential Roadmap Initiative Q&A
15:55 - 16:05 CEST	Keynote presentation: The importance of setting appropriate targets on Scope 3 emissions Zola Berger-Schmitz, Target Validation Manager, Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) [Presentation]
16:05 - 16:25 CEST	Session 2: Scope 3 Guidance for telecommunication operators [Presentation] This session provided an introduction to the Scope 3 Guidance for telecommunication operators, which is a framework designed to help companies identify and manage their indirect greenhouse gas emissions. This session provided participants with the foundational understanding of the new guidance document and how it can be applied to drive progress towards a more sustainable telecom industry. Moderator: Reyna Ubeda, Project Officer, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU Alex Campbell, Senior Sustainability Consultant, TDC Net Jean Manuel Canet, Co-Rapporteur Q9/5, ITU-T and Senior Manager, Orange Simon Antony, Senior Supplier Governance Manager, Telstra John Pflueger, Co-chair, Climate Committee, GeSI Q&A
16:25 - 16:30 CEST	Closing Remarks Jean-Manuel Canet, Co-Rapporteur Q9/5, ITU-T and Senior Manager, Orange