(Ecofin Agency) - Reducing business carbon footprint has become a priority with the acceleration of climate change. Many African telecom operators have already taken initiatives in that regard.  

Telecom tower operator IHS Towers unveiled a roadmap for reducing carbon emissions in its African markets, among others, on Monday, October 24. The company says it is aiming for a 50 percent reduction in its towers’ per kilowatt hour emission by 2030.

The roadmap begins with Project Green, under which IHS Towers plans to invest US$214 million between 2022 and 2024 to reduce the carbon footprint of its telecom sites in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Kuwait, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Zambia. According to the company, dependence on diesel generators is generally higher in the listed markets.

Project Green is expected to deliver US$77 million in annual leveraged cash flow savings to IHS Towers in 2025. The savings will be achieved by connecting more sites to the power grid as well as deploying and integrating battery storage and solar solutions.

The announcement comes as a growing number of mobile operators are committing to reducing their carbon footprint. In its "2022 Mobile Net Zero Report," the GSMA reports that 49 operators representing 62 percent of the industry (by revenue) have now committed to rapidly reducing their emissions over the next decade. In 2020, they were just 31 operators.

In Africa, telecom operators such as MTN South Africa, Vodacom Group, Orange, and Unitel have already launched initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint.

"The true benefits of mobile connectivity can only be realized if we and our sector continue to develop in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Our Carbon Reduction Roadmap is the next step in our journey to reduce our carbon footprint by setting tangible emissions targets,” says Sam Darwish, IHS Towers CEO. 

Isaac K. Kassouwi