Download report for 2008 (PDF format) - Telenor

ENVIRONMENT
Being a company in the ICT sector, when it comes to environmental issues, we focus on 1. energy consumption and
climate change and 2. materials and waste.
Our Response To Climate Change
Telenor’s impact on the environment is mainly due to the energy consumption, CO2 emissions, waste and visual
intrusion. In order to adjust to a low-carbon future Telenor has established the Climate Change Program that will
reduce the carbon footprint of our activities and promote the development of solutions that can help our customers
reduce their own carbon emissions. Key areas of the program are: our emissions, employee involvement, business
opportunities and renewable energy.
In a low-carbon society, the first priority is to take responsibility for our own emissions of CO2. Cutting carbon
emission means saving energy and cutting costs, and this forms the basis for sustainable growth. We will take steps
to ensure that our networks and base stations are as energy efficient as possible. In some countries Telenor is even
employing renewable energy sources to power network equipment, and we are testing solar-powered base stations
and repeater sites. A promising result is that these renewable energy sources produce more energy than is required
to power the base stations. This excess electricity can be used to benefit local communities in the future. In order to
achieve this, Telenor will depend on strong partnerships with energy providers.
Reducing the need for transport and travel is another priority. We are relying on virtual tools, such as
videoconferencing and we have established an internal program to help our employees share information and
communicate in ways that do not harm the environment.
Recycling Campaign
Telenor recycles tens of thousands of mobile phones through its recycling program in Serbia. Through this
campaign Telenor actively participates in solving the growing issue of electronic waste and raising environmental
awareness of the local public.
A majority of mobile telecommunication users usually buy new mobile phone handsets every two years. Due to
this a large number of old mobile phones ends up as regular waste. More than 90 percent of the materials could
be recycled and reused. Batteries, which represent 15 to 30 percent of the materials, could significantly harm the
environment. The consequences are double: discarding old mobile phone sets means also discarding inert gases,
metals, and this type of electronic waste pollutes the environment since it causes the release of toxic substances,
such as lithium and cadmium. We are proud to say that we have recycled more than 75,000 old cell phones
during a three-month campaign.
8 Corporate Responsibility