Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, the member states of the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We want to make concrete contributions to achieving these goals along our entire value chain.
Our contributions to achieving the SDGs have also had a positive effect on our own Company. In order to highlight these contributions, we have divided them into five areas: Finance, Structure, Relationships, Employees, and Environment.
Deutsche Telekom’s value contributions
As a responsible employer, we greatly value employee participation and a working environment that is fair and respectful; we encourage diversity and support our employees on their journey toward the digital working world (SDGs 5, 8, 10). At the same time, this has a positive effect on teamwork in our Company (Employees). By building out our broadband network, we are making an active contribution to creating high-quality infrastructure, and promoting innovation (SDG 9). At the same time, we are strengthening our infrastructure (Structure). We are making our network increasingly energy-efficient and using electricity from 100 % renewable energy sources (SDG 13). This is how we are making our own business activities more environmentally friendly (Environment). Following the switch to electricity from renewable energy sources, we are making further improvements by continuously working on the composition of the electricity mix (e.g., by increasing the share of electricity via power purchase agreements, which we use to support the expansion of renewable energy in our markets) and on improving energy efficiency. Our growing range of sustainable products and solutions increases this effect and enables our customers to reduce CO2 emissions and conserve other resources (SDGs 12, 14, 15). Our smart cities solutions also promote a sustainable way of life (SDG 11). At the same time, these offerings enable us to generate revenue (Finance). Our commitment to an internet free of hate and to more civil courage online contributes to a peaceful, inclusive society based on the rule of law (SDG 16) and is associated with new cooperation relationships (SDG 17) for us (Relationships).
To clearly highlight the contribution our products, services, and activities make toward the individual sustainability development goals and our value chain, we have marked the relevant passages with the respective SDG and value contribution symbols. The symbols used are considered information extraneous to management reports in accordance with the explanation given in the section “Introductory remarks.”