Ericsson has set a long-term ambition to be Net Zero by 2040 across its value chain through working towards the 1.5°C aligned climate targets set by the Paris Agreement, according to its ‘2021 Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility’ report.
The company aims to achieve Net Zero emissions from the company’s own activities by 2030, as well as reducing emissions by 50 percent in its portfolio and supply chain also by 2030, according to a company statement.
In 2021, Ericsson achieved 36 percent energy savings from delivered Ericsson Radio System radios versus the legacy portfolio, surpassing the company’s approved Science Based Target of 35 percent one year ahead of schedule.
“Our sustainability-driven solutions and partnerships create real impact for our customers and our stakeholders,” said Heather Johnson, Ericsson’s Head of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility.
“But they also create value for society, whether by enabling the reduction of emissions across industries, creating more energy-efficient networks or helping to bridge the digital divide. We made significant progress towards our sustainability goals in 2021, and we are now setting even more ambitious targets for the future,” she added.
With that, Ericsson has developed solutions to enable operator networks to use as little energy as possible while managing expected growth in data traffic, meeting the needs of both current and future 5G networks – last year witnessed the launch of a series of ultra-light Massive MIMO radios that are 10 percent more energy efficient than the previous generation.
With roughly 2.9 billion people still offline, Ericsson is also placing great focus on reducing the global digital divide. In 2021, the telecom giant continued its partnership with UNICEF in support of the Giga initiative, helping to map schools and assessing their connectivity in 35 countries by the end of 2023, as well as
Ericsson also made a commitment to positively impact one million children and youth by 2025 by providing access to digital learning and skill development programs as part of the World Economic Forum-aligned EDISON Alliance 1 Billion Lives Challenge.
Last year witnessed an increase in work-related fatalities compared to 2020, prompting the company to strengthen its commitment to Target Zero – a goal of zero fatalities and lost workday incidents.
