UAE’s e& commits to net-zero operations by 2030

UAE telco e& has pledged its commitment to achieve net zero status for Scope 1 and 2 emissions within its group’s operations in the UAE by 2030.

The announcement was made at the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt.

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.

To reach net-zero emissions, e& will accelerate the de-carbonisation 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.

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and the 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,” she added.

Hatem Dowidar, group CEO, e&, commented, “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.

“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,” he stated.

In other news, e& announced its financial results for Q3 2022, reporting consolidated revenues of Dhs13bn. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Dhs2.5bn, a year-on-year increase of 1.9 per cent.

Read: UAE telco e& sees net profit rise 1.9% to Dhs2.5bn for Q3 2022