ICT is indispensable in the quest for climate neutrality

With a science-based action plan for being fully climate neutral by 2040, Proximus is one of the first European operators to commit fully to the new climate neutral standards. That is a whole decade earlier than what Belgium aspires to as a country. In practice, the aim of the plan is to effectively reduce all direct and indirect emissions by 90% and to neutralize the remaining 10%.

Catherine Bals, Sustainability Department Lead at Proximus

100% renewable energy

"We take our responsibility," says Catherine Bals, Sustainability Department Lead at Proximus. "We already run 100% on renewable energy and we have already reduced our emissions. But we want to do more.” The pandemic meant a drop in emissions in 2020. “We take this year as a benchmark in our journey to reducing our emissions by another 60% by 2030." Proximus does this by pursuing greater energy efficiency in buildings and vehicles but also by moving towards becoming a circular company.

Reduced emissions across the entire supply chain

There is still considerable room for improvement. But that requires cooperation. Companies can make efforts on their own but it is important that they look at their emissions as a whole across the supply chain. "That's why we talk to our suppliers," Catherine says. One example of this has been decoders and modems with a smaller footprint. They consume 20% less electricity and contain 50% less plastic. "That is a way for us to help other companies on their way to climate neutrality."

Carbon Trust maps impact

Proximus is now taking that approach even further. "We find that there is still a lot of potential for companies to reduce their emissions," says Frederic Lhostte, Head of Product & Solution Management at Proximus. "We offer connectivity, digital solutions, and ICT services that help companies reduce their CO2 emissions and save energy." Proximus is working with Carbon Trust in mapping the impact of potential emissions reductions. Veronika Thieme, Associate Director at Carbon Trust: "We are an international organization that helps companies develop a sustainable strategy."

Frédéric Lhostte, Head of Product & Solution Management at Proximus

A 500,000 tonne reduction in CO2 by Proximus customers

"Working from home and videoconferencing has meant that CO2 emissions have fallen thanks to less traffic. The move to cloud applications also means companies have to deploy less equipment which has an effect on CO2 emissions," says Frédéric. Proximus did the exercise with Carbon Trust. "Carbon Trust produced a report that offers insight into emissions reductions thanks to all our ICT solutions. That's how we found out that Proximus' professional customers already have reduced emissions by around 500,000 tonnes. That corresponds to the emissions of a city like Ostend", Frédéric explains.

Smart solutions with smart buildings

By using smart solutions for their buildings, companies can also reduce their emissions. A smart building application, for example, allows them to optimize energy consumption in buildings.

Smart meters give utility companies the remote visibility of meter readings and that reduces the amount of travel. Proximus is already connecting more than a million smart meters. Smart mobility applications, such as Flitsmeister and 4411 from Proximus’ subsidiary Be-Mobile, streamline traffic which also results in reduced emissions.

Everyone is part of the puzzle

Proximus is also including the impact on emissions in further future plans for its solutions. "This is how we contribute to a greener Belgium," says Catherine. "But we remain humble. We are a small piece in a much bigger puzzle." Indeed, the 500,000 tonnes of avoided emissions is only a small part of Belgium's total emissions of 94 million tonnes.

"But we want to play our part," Catherine explains. "We provide solutions. We can help a lot of companies and people take the right steps." In this way, too, Proximus – just like every business and citizen in our country – is a piece of a larger puzzle. "ICT is an indispensable part of the solution," Frédéric concludes. "That's the role we want to play.