Sustainability
The Sustainability Working Group (SUS WG) aims to enhance awareness and develop expertise on various aspects of sustainability in the digital economy, including electronic communications networks and services. The activities and topics addressed are interlinked with the work of the other WGs of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). The SUS WG works towards a sustainable strategy leveraging BEREC’s expertise to actively contribute to improving transparency, measurement and mitigation of environmental footprint of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). The SUS WG pursues its environmental transparency analysis, the empowerment of end users through information on digital products and services, and the role of the circular approach in the digital economy, such as the life cycle of devices and equipment.
Working Group Co-chairs
Work in 2026
In 2026, the SUS WG will continue working on related topics based on the BEREC Work Programme 2026.
Advancing towards environmental data collection on ECN/ECS and contributing to future code of conduct on ECN/ECS sustainability
BEREC will continue its work on sustainability indicators in 2026. BEREC will especially contribute to and support the work of the European Commission (EC) on the future Code of Conduct for Electronic Communications Networks (ECN)/Electronic Communications Services (ECS), expected to be delivered in 2025. It will also work to establish the ground for BEREC ad-hoc data collection with a questionnaire on the implementation of key sustainability indicators that national regulatory authorities will be asked to distribute to their market players.
Sustainable AI for greener digital infrastructures: Understanding the environmental implications of AI in the telecoms and ICT sector
Aiming to publish a report titled ‘The impact of AI on internet openness & the environment’, BEREC will follow up on its internal report on the integration of artificial intelligence in the telecommunications sector.
The objective is to gather factual information on the environmental footprint of AI in relation to ECN, ECS and ICT. The report will:
- establish a ‘state of the art’ regarding to the environmental footprint of AI;
- assess potential efficiency gains and other indirect effects linked to AI deployment, notably for ECN/ECS;
- map the supporting infrastructures required for AI computation relevant to ECN/ECS (e.g. data centres, edge computing, network functions);
- present the environmental indicators recommended by standardisation bodies in relation to AI, and; and
- highlight potential levers within BEREC’s remit in terms of encouraging the implementation of sustainable AI with the aim of moving towards greener digital infrastructures.
Understanding digital technologies sufficiency for greener networks and ICTs
Digital technologies are energy and resource-intensive, with their total electricity demand (production and use) accounting for 8-10% of worldwide electricity consumption. While the efficiency of ICT devices and systems is improving, gains are often offset by increased use.
In 2026, BEREC plans to organise a workshop on the subject. Following on from the key insights identified during the 2025 workshop on the eco-design of digital services, specific focus could be given to areas such as device longevity, data minimisation, the eco-design of digital services, and the balance between connectivity and sustainability. The discussion could also focus on regulatory frameworks, including incentive-based solutions and industry initiatives that promote sufficiency-oriented digital policies and business models. In this context, the workshop could explore how telecoms operators, cloud providers, device manufacturers, and standardisation bodies can collaborate to align on shared sufficiency goals.
Why is this important?
In the past years, sustainability and climate challenges have gained significant momentum. Especially since the European Green Deal, the digital economy and its impact on the environment drawn increased attention, placing sustainability at its heart. Among other considerations, several questions have emerged - How greener networks can be deployed? How can a sustainable approach to digitalisation be implemented? How can positive incentives be created for service or device providers?