BEREC questionnaire on indicators to measure environmental footprint of the telecoms sector

On 21 October 2022, BEREC launched a call for input to stakeholders on mapping and analysing the indicators most relevant for evaluating the environmental footprint of the telecoms sector. The stakeholder inputs will help BEREC to develop a consistent and robust set of indicators that will enable public authorities, economic actors and end-users to make informed decisions.

All telecom companies and relevant industry players are invited to reply to the questionnaire by 2 December 2022. The results would be used for BEREC coming report on sustainability indicators next year (a draft version should be published in the first half of 2023 for public consultation). 

There are currently no standardised data collection and measurement methodologies to evaluate the environmental sustainability of electronic communications networks (ECN) and services (ECS). The contributions to BEREC’s questionnaires will help identify the sustainability indicators that are considered practicable and effective to increase the level of environmental transparency in the sector, in line with EU Green Deal targets.

Open and sustainable European digital markets are a cornerstone of a Europe fit for the digital age. According to an external study conducted for BEREC on the Environmental impact of electronic communications, the ICT sector accounts for between 2-4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Networks account for 14-24% of these emissions, while devices represent 60-80% of this share and data centres around 15%. As highlighted in its report “Assessing BEREC’s role limiting the digital sector on the environment”, it is necessary to adopt a holistic approach and promote best practices in terms of environmental transparency for all parties of the Internet Ecosystem.

In its strategy 2021-2025, BEREC aims to understand how the telecoms sector contributes to a greener Europe and how BEREC's expertise could help achieve climate‑neutral telecoms and digital markets.