 Oct. 7, 2008 - Sprint has committed to cutting its total greenhouse gas emissions 15% by 2017, with at least 10% of its energy coming from renewable sources.
The emissions-reduction goal has earned recognition from the U.S. EPA's Climate Leaders program, which Sprint joined last year.
Sprint will be focusing much of its energy-efficiency efforts on the amount of power required to operate its mobile networks. The company says it is examining all network design and procurement processes to ensure that energy use and environmental impact is taken into consideration.
Sprint is also introducing 250 hydrogen fuel cells in its core network, a cleaner energy source whose only by-product is water.
In addition, Sprint has pledged to increase its wireless recycling rates from 16% to 90% by 2017 by expanding two current programs, Sprint Project Connect and Sprint Buyback. The company is launching a public awareness campaign to encourage customer participation in its takeback programs.
Sprint says its new emissions reduction target is part of a ten-year plan to:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Minimize waste and reduce use of natural resources
- Promote an environmentally sound supply chain
- Reduce the environmental impact of Sprint products and services
- Promote and support environmental stewardship by Sprint employees
- Continue to comply with environmental regulations
In the telecom industry, expansion to so-called "bottom-of-the-pyramid" consumers is necessitating a move toward energy efficiency. Earlier this year, China Mobile, the world's largest mobile phone operator, announced plans to increase energy efficiency by 40%, even as its business continues to grow. In India, telecom vendor VNL has re-engineered industry-standard Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications technology to both draw less electricity and run exclusively on solar power. |
