COP27: e& commits to net zero operation by 2030 to accelerate its climate action efforts

e& (formerly known as the Etisalat Group) has declared its net zero targets by 2030, during the group’s participation at the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27) in Egypt, aimed at reducing carbon emissions across its operations and accelerating its efforts to contribute to global climate action.

The global technology and investment conglomerate has pledged its commitment to achieving net zero within its Group’s operations in the UAE for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030, focusing on key initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint through improving energy efficiency and sourcing renewable energy among other initiatives.

e&’s climate action programme will be aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a collaboration between the Carbon Disclosure Project, the United Nations Global Compact and the World Resources Institute, to set an emissions reduction trajectory between 2020 and 2030 for all Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sub-sectors. e&’s programme will set out a clear net zero carbon emissions roadmap for it to advance its sustainability initiatives that have a positive human impact on future plans and operations.

Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: “The UAE is taking massive action alongside its partners to address the global challenges related to climate change, leading the energy transition by reducing the carbon impact of hydrocarbon emissions. We pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2050, as the first country in the MENA region, knowing that deploying sustainable and clean technologies and investing in renewable energy projects in developing countries will enable us to contribute more effectively to the future of humanity. We are pleased to see a global organisation such as e& paving the way for private sector entities around the world to show more commitment and support a real-time transition towards a low-carbon society.”

Currently, the UAE is ranked number one for the highest Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) penetration, maintaining its leadership position since 2016.

e& constantly manages its environmental impact and strives to protect natural resources by strategically investing in sustainable and innovative solutions. Over the past decade, e& has strategically invested in fibre optic infrastructure, which has technical and environmental advantages over traditional networks. The Group’s current operations focus on best practices of reducing energy consumption, minimising waste and developing sustainable architecture to achieve a positive environmental impact.

Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO, e&, said: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Our sustainability plans and ambitions are aligned to support the UAE's Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), as well as our commitment to the GSMA's initiative to take the entire mobile industry to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

“The importance of addressing the critical challenges related to climate change has become a priority for e&. We are working closely with our partners and stakeholders to create solutions that turn ideas into action. Through our commitment to enabling a low-carbon society, we will ramp up our efforts to address pressing issues such as climate action, environmental conservation, as well as the provision of safe, efficient and environmentally friendly products and services that help mitigate climate change.”

To reach net zero, e& is committed to accelerating the decarbonisation of activities while focusing on mobile network modernisation with the deployment of the latest generation of energy-efficient radio equipment (both hardware and software), increased use of renewable energy sources and carbon offsetting initiatives that are vital to achieve targets.

Dowidar added: "e& has successfully built an ecosystem in which we operate, communicate and deliver our services to stakeholders and customers, which has helped us to be a key player in exploring clean and green solutions, and has enabled us to keep the ESG agenda at the heart of our business model."