Release of 12.05.2014
- Domestic subsidiary’s green milestone: A1 network is Austria’s first 100% carbon neutral network, confirmed by TÜV SÜD
- Reduction of CO2 emissions by 40% since 2008
- Steady reduction of energy consumption despite rising data volumes
- 100% electrical generation from renewable energy sources
- Environmental protection through smart ICT solutions
The Telekom Austria Group today announced that its domestic subsidiary, A1, has achieved a further 'green' milestone in environmental and energy management as Austria's first 100% carbon-neutral network, as confirmed by TÜV SÜD, a globally operating technical testing organisation.
A1 has operated a certified environmental management system for over a decade, consistently reducing its CO2 emissions by 40% since 2008. Despite rising data volumes, the company has succeeded in cutting its energy consumption on a steady basis, with renewable energy accounting for 100% of the company's electricity generation. Furthermore, the company actively supports national and international climate protection projects, which focus on renewable energy sources.
Our mission is not only to offer our customers Austria's best network, but to also become and remain a very green network.
Hannes Ametsreiter
CEO A1 and Telekom Austria Group
"Our mission is not only to offer our customers Austria's best network, but to also become and remain a very green network aimed at protecting the environment. This year, we succeeded in being the first and only communication provider in Austria to operate a totally carbon neutral network. Moving forward, we commit ourselves to the economically efficient and sustainable use of natural resources", said Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO of Telekom Austria Group and A1, underlining A1's longstanding environmental management.
This success was achieved through a number of energy-saving measures including innovative cooling systems at the computing centers and more efficient planning of business trips to customer premises and virtual meetings. It was also achieved through smart ICT solutions such as 'Home Office' (A1 Austria Cloud) and 'Video Conferencing' (A1 Video Conferencing) services, making a significant contribution to reducing the carbon footprint.
In addition, A1 is committed to a clear energy supply strategy aimed at enhancing the efficiency of both energy sources and natural resources. The company generates its own electricity using photovoltaic systems, amongst others, at its technology center Arsenal and at its satellite earth station Aflenz, is turning telephone booths into public charging stations for electric cars, while acquiring electricity only from renewable energy sources.
Furthermore, the company also offers customers the option to access their bills online. Almost one third of all A1 customers are currently taking advantage of this opportunity. As a result, the annual savings in paper consumption amount to three hectares of forest or 2,000 full-grown trees.
The company's mobile parking solution has also led to a considerable reduction in paper consumption in recent years. Since 2003, a total of 100 million parking tickets have been paid by mobile phone resulting in paper consumption savings equal to a 12 km high pile of parking tickets.
Last but not least, customers who return old mobile devices are given a voucher to purchase a new handset or, if this is no longer possible, it guarantees the environmentally sound disposal of waste equipment, donating EUR 4 for each returned device to climate protection projects.
"As Austria's leading communications provider, we are saving a total of 64,000 tons of C02 emissions a year and with our green network we are driving the development of a low-carbon society forward. We are offering our customers a comprehensive product portfolio, which protects the environment and enhances work efficiency based on smart ITC solutions," concluded Alexander Sperl, CCO A1, delighted about the successful TÜV SÜD testing.
State-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure plays a key role in terms of climate protection. The ICT industry is already responsible for 2% of the world's total CO2 emissions, and with increased use and rapidly growing data volumes this trend is likely to grow.
According to the GeSI (Global e-Sustainability Initiative) survey "SMARTER 2020", the current potential for a global reduction of greenhouse gases through environmentally friendly ICT solutions amounts to 16%, which corresponds to 9.1 gigatonnes of CO2. A recent survey (April 2014) by the Austrian Traffic Club (VCÖ) also confirms that data mobility and road traffic avoidance can make a significant contribution to climate protection. If home office solutions were to account for 30% of total working hours and every Austrian was to work one day per week from home (currently only one out of 10works from home one day a week) the total savings in harmful emissions would amount to the annual mileage of 128,000 cars or roughly 340,000 tons of CO2. Moreover, according to the VCÖ, an average return business trip by airplane generates 760 kg of CO2. If, in Austria, one of five business flights was replaced by a video conference, a total of 90,000 tons of CO2 per year or the annual mileage of 34,000 cars could be avoided.