So far, there is no industry-wide established system that provides sustainability information on ICT products and services. At Deutsche Telekom, we have been evaluating the sustainability of our products since 2014 using our own analysis method. For example, we examine how safe the products are or how well they can be recycled.
We inform our customers about the contributions our products make to sustainability. Our analysis results also enable us to position ourselves as a responsible company vis-à-vis the competition. In the reporting year, we also included selected products in the analysis in line with the criteria of the EU taxonomy.
Mapping to the SDGs
In the reporting year, we once again compared the sustainability benefits of a number of our products with the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), supported by internal experts. The level of detail we have taken depends on how much revenue we generate with the product under investigation: in the case of high sales, we looked at the impact on all SDGs, in the case of low sales, only the impact on the most relevant SDG.
Results of the analysis
In the 2024 reporting year, we examined 37 products and solutions in detail, analyzing their contribution to sustainability and their business potential (as of the end of 2024).
Sustainable products are an important competitive factor for us. With the help of the ESG KPI “Share of sustainability-related sales”, we determine how much revenue we generate (excluding T‑Mobile US) with products that make a contribution to sustainability. The determination of sales for individual product clusters is partly based on assumption-based keying. In 2024, the share was 43 % (previous year: 43 %).
Share of revenue with products and services that offer sustainability benefits DT 2024
DTAG excl. US
Share of revenue with products and services that offer sustainability benefits DT
in %
Extract: Revenue with sustainability benefits per products a
in million €
Estimated influence division of our products’ sustainability benefits on the Sustainable Development Goals
We have been recording this key figure since 2014 using our own methodology, which we adapted in 2022. The fact remains that a product can only be assigned to the sustainable product portfolio if it is highly likely to contain none of the seven risks defined by us. The risk analysis covers the following issues: environmental pollution in the manufacture of ICT products, avoidable, non-recyclable electronic waste, ethically unacceptable working conditions, use of conflict minerals in the production phase, social exclusion as well as radiation and health effects and information security. In addition, a product must offer at least one of five sustainability benefits. Reduced energy consumption, reduction of CO2 emissions, approaches to the circular economy, reduction of time and facilitation of social participation are considered. Saving costs is still seen as additional information. However, a cost advantage alone does not constitute a sustainability advantage. In line with the EU taxonomy, since 2023 we have included revenue from the rental of terminal equipment in the fixed-network sector, which accounts for around 2 percentage points of the total value. When crediting the included mobile broadband revenues, data and voice revenues are difficult to separate and the crediting is based on assumptions. In the reporting year, we will continue to report on these KPIs in parallel with the EU Taxonomy Regulation, as this does not yet cover the essential part of our business model.
Assessment of Deutsche Telekom’s sustainability portfolio
One of the four pillars of Deutsche Telekom’s (DT) integrated climate strategy is to increase the share of sustainable products and services in our product portfolio.
A product can only be assigned to the sustainable product portfolio if it is highly likely to contain none of the seven risks we have defined. In addition, a product must offer at least one of five sustainability benefits. Saving costs is still seen as additional information. However, a cost advantage alone does not constitute a sustainability advantage.
Overview:
Financial basis for calculation
Fiscal year 2024, excluding the United States
Criteria for scope of assessment
In the scope of assessment
Region
Europe
Services
- Market-oriented core products for B2C and B2B (including B2G)
- Broadband for fixed, mobile and wholesale
- TV
- Value-added services
- Market-oriented non-core products for B2C and B2B, e.g. hosting services
- Enterprise solutions for B2B (including B2G)
Physical products
- ICT infrastructures, such as data centers
- Rented devices, such as routers
Criteria for scope of assessment
Outside the scope of assessment
Region
United States
Services
- Internal services, e.g. consulting, facility management or transactions with national subsidiaries
- Financial assets
Physical products
- Physical facilities needed to perform business functions, such as buildings
Definition of the corresponding sustainability landscape
Risk and Benefit Filter
Overview of risk filters for sustainability-driven portfolio screening
Method and content
- Methodological analysis and evaluation of the environmental and social benefits of DT products and services based on defined risks (7) and benefits (5)
- Inclusion of products that are likely or certain to be risk-free and offer at least one sustainability benefit regardless of the cost-saving effects
- Calculation of the key figure “Share of sales related to sustainability” (share of sales with sustainable DT products & services in total sales)
Assessment result 2024 (baseline: FY 2024, excluding USA)
- 43 percent of total sales were generated with sustainable products and services