Overview – Environment
The transformation to a climate-neutral circular economy is a major value driver and a key strategic priority. We recognize the fundamental risks of climate change and resource use, as well as our responsibility to reduce our environmental impact along the entire value chain. Our aims go beyond regulatory compliance – we want to play an active role in the ecological transformation and provide technological solutions for our customers and society.
We are on track to reach net zero and are pressing ahead with our Transition Plan to achieve climate neutrality along the entire value chain by 2040 at the latest. In the reporting year, we achieved our first major milestone of net zero emissions in our own business operations (Scope 1 and 2) by 2025. One of our principal actions is increasing the energy efficiency of our networks through upgrades. The energy intensity key performance indicator (KPI) improved from 56 kWh/terabyte in 2024 to 48 kWh/terabyte in 2025.
We are systematically forging ahead with making our value chain for terminal equipment and network technology in Germany and Europe almost entirely circular by 2030. We had already achieved our “zero ICT waste to landfill” target in Germany and Europe since 2022, which means that all our electronic waste is properly disposed of or recycled. Since the end of 2022, we have also been exclusively using plastic-free packaging for all new Deutsche Telekom terminal equipment and all smartphones sold, to reduce our resource use.