Sustainability Survey Highlights Fiber's Green Credentials

The FTTH Council Global Alliance (FCGA) has released the results of its global sustainability survey.
The FCGA is comprised of six regional FTTH councils with the common goal of accelerating the adoption of fiber optic broadband. These include the Digital Council for Africa, the Fiber Broadband Association, the Fiber Broadband Association Latin America Chapter, the Middle East and North Africa Fiber Connectivity Council, the Asia Pacific FTTH Council and the European FTTH Council.
The group commissioned a sustainability survey to understand the telecom industry's commitment to sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) or corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies, their progress in achieving overall goals and milestones, and how these are being achieved differently at the regional level. It explored ESG and CSR strategies across the telecommunications industry with network operators, service providers and suppliers in five geographic regions.
The results show that some regions are much more advanced than others, but that the sustainable nature of fiber will ultimately help the global telecom industry achieve its ESG and CSR goals. The report notes that according to a report by The Boston Consulting Group, the information and communications technology (ICT) industry accounts for 3 to 4 percent of total global emissions, twice the level of the aviation industry. However, research by RVA, LLC and the Fiber Broadband Association shows that fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) can directly reduce carbon emissions, resulting in a 34 percent reduction in Internet CO2 emissions. This means that fiber-based broadband technologies can help the industry reduce these emissions because fiber consumes less energy than other broadband technologies.
Among the survey's other findings, it details that switching from hybrid fiber coaxial cable (HFC) to FTTH is seen as a way to improve sustainability programs. In addition, it recommends supporting customer greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction programs through a life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach that allows companies to identify sustainability enhancements and develop GHG impact assessments for early innovation programs. Most participating companies are developing plans to achieve at least a 40 percent reduction in GHG emissions by 2030, with a long-term goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040.
Some regional and cultural differences in sustainability priorities were also illustrated. Europe currently has the highest percentage of respondents with an ESG/CSR strategy (81%), followed by Latin America (45%), North America and the Middle East and North Africa (both 16%), and Asia Pacific (15%). Some respondents in the Asia-Pacific region indicated that Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions would reach net zero by 2035, representing a 60 percent reduction in GHG emissions by 2030. Meanwhile, several European respondents indicated they are evaluating or participating in the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) to help define and promote best practices for emissions reductions.
The fiber optic broadband industry is currently experiencing its largest investment cycle ever, and we expect this momentum to continue to rise over the next five years due to the long-term benefits of fiber that can deliver broadband connectivity goals and sustainability initiatives," said Gary Bolton, president and CEO of the Fiber Optic Broadband Association. Fiber is the only way to simultaneously deliver high-speed, reliable Internet services and support ESG and CSR goals, green energy, reduce waste and benefit society."
Kholoud Aldorgham, Director General of the Middle East and North Africa Regional Fiber Connectivity Council, added: "The telecommunications industry has an important role to play in reducing carbon emissions and achieving sustainable development goals. Fiber optic technology is one of the most sustainable broadband technologies available today. Not only does it consume less energy, but it also has a longer lifespan than other technologies, thereby reducing the amount of waste generated. In the MENA region, much remains to be done to promote sustainability in the telecommunications industry. One important step is for companies to invest in deploying fiber optic networks, which will not only reduce their carbon footprint, but also provide consumers with high-speed, reliable Internet access."