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As part of the workstream surrounding common data standards, the Digital Connectivity Forum’s Climate & Sustainability Work Group (CSWG) has conducted a survey amongst members regarding the current state of sustainability within the telecoms industry. The results, published as part of techUK’s Climate Action at COP28 Campaign Week 2023, reveal interesting themes as well as clear long term goals.

In addition to conducting this survey, the CSWG will also be endorsing the JAC 10 best practice principles which were released as part of their Achieving Net Zero in the Telecoms Industry: Tackling Supply Chain Emissions report.

The group has chosen to endorse the JAC 10-point principles, which give suppliers to the UK telecoms industry aspirational goals as well as being aligned with other industry work on decarbonisation in the hope that this can be the beginning of dialogue between industry and suppliers towards sector wide decarbonisation.

In addition to their work around common data standards, the DCF Climate and Sustainability Working Group also acknowledges that many smaller suppliers may struggle with climate reporting, and has issued guidance earlier this month to help SMEs get started on net zero action.

You can read the 10 principles below as well as accessing the full report using the link above.

1. Understand your Carbon Footprint – know how much of your emissions arise from your direct
   operations, energy usage and your wider value chain so that you can focus your action in the right
   areas
2. Have a carbon reduction plan with a clear Net Zero Goal and interim targets with board level
   ownership
3. Align your carbon reduction planning to the SBTi standard so that you have a valid science-based
   carbon reduction target across Scope 1, 2, and 3
4. Where your supply chain emissions are a significant part of your carbon footprint, develop a supply
   chain hot spot analysis so that you know what areas of your supply chain to prioritise engagement
   with, to drive emissions reduction
5. Maintain LCAs (Life Cycle Assessments) for the products and services you offer so that you can
   identify and address the major opportunities to decarbonise the products you offer. Maintaining
   LCAs is important as your operator customers may ask for LCAs when assessing emissions arising
   from their purchasing of your products
6. Measure and report your emissions reduction activities following recognised standards like the
   GHG protocol, and ensure you have independent external assurance and verification of your
   methodology and calculations
7. Use green energy in line with its availability – this is the simplest thing any business can do to reduce
   its emissions
8. Have goals to improve the power efficiency of the products you offer and your operations, with
   incentives for employees who drive the change
9. Understand and support the Carbon reduction goals of your customers
10. Engage with your supply chain to incentivise and help them to reduce their carbon emissions by
    requiring them to address points 1 through to 10