Mobile industry needs more renewable power to cut emissions

The GSMA has published a report saying the mobile industry needs greater access to renewable energy to stay on course for net zero by 2050. The study covers more than 110 mobile operators representing 85% of global mobile connections.

Mobile operators cut operational emissions by 13% between 2019 and 2024, including a 5% decline in 2024, even as mobile connections rose by 10% and data traffic more than quadrupled over the same period.

The report estimated the industry's operational emissions at 115 million tonnes of CO2e in 2024, or about 0.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions fell in every region, but the pace must increase if the sector is to deliver the 45% reduction required by 2030 under its science-based pathway.

Renewable electricity emerged as the main driver of emissions cuts. Operators purchased or generated about 70TWh of renewable electricity in 2024, while the share of their electricity sourced from renewables rose from 10% in 2019 to 24% in 2024.

Regional differences remain marked. European operators sourced about 70% of their electricity from renewables, compared with 50% in North America and 45% in Latin America.

Supply chain pressure

Around three-quarters of the sector's total carbon footprint sits in the value chain, making supply chains the biggest obstacle to deeper emissions cuts. Progress among suppliers has been uneven. More than half of selected cloud and IT service providers, network equipment manufacturers and mobile phone manufacturers have validated near-term targets, compared with less than a quarter of the largest tower companies.

Tower infrastructure was identified as both a problem area and a potential source of gains. The world's 100 largest tower companies operate around four million sites and consumed more than two billion litres of diesel in 2024, according to the report.

The study pointed to solar power, batteries and improved energy management as the main ways to reduce tower emissions. It also called on suppliers, particularly tower companies, to improve climate disclosures, set targets and increase the use of cleaner energy and circular practices.

Policy role

Alongside company action, governments have a decisive role in the industry's transition, the report argued. It called for policies that encourage investment in renewable generation and grids, open electricity markets to improve corporate access to renewables, and speed up permitting for clean energy projects.

It also urged policymakers to support repair and refurbishment and to treat communications networks as critical infrastructure in national resilience planning. This would help operators cut emissions while maintaining reliable services as climate risks increase.

Climate resilience featured more prominently in this edition of the study. As extreme weather events become more frequent, operators are placing greater emphasis on adaptation measures to keep networks running in more volatile conditions.

The findings come amid wider scrutiny of the technology sector's environmental impact, including concerns over rising electricity demand linked to artificial intelligence. In the mobile sector, AI's direct effect on network energy consumption remains limited for now, though the report said the issue should be monitored as adoption expands.

Industry targets

Climate commitments across the industry continue to expand, according to the GSMA. As of June 2026, 81 mobile operators had near-term science-based targets, representing nearly half of global mobile connections and more than two-thirds of industry revenues. Fifty operators had committed to net zero targets, and 46 of those had already been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.

John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer at the GSMA, said: "The mobile industry continues to demonstrate that economic growth, digital connectivity and climate action can go hand in hand. Operators are connecting more people, carrying more data and supporting digital economies around the world while still reducing emissions.

"The progress we are seeing is encouraging, but more needs to be done. Access to renewable energy remains one of the biggest factors determining how quickly operators can decarbonise. Policymakers have a vital role in creating the conditions that enable investment in clean energy infrastructure and accelerate the transition to net zero.

"Mobile networks are critical infrastructure for modern societies and economies. Ensuring they can access affordable, reliable renewable energy will not only help reduce emissions, but also strengthen energy security, improve resilience and support sustainable economic growth."

The report also called on operators to keep improving energy efficiency and to retire legacy networks faster. Further progress will depend on a mix of network modernisation, wider access to renewable electricity and stronger pressure on suppliers to cut emissions across the broader mobile ecosystem.