Operational resource protection: environmentally conscious in everyday work

Since the 90s, we have been concerned with the question of how we can reduce the environmental impact of our business operations. In doing so, we look not only at our network operations and our product portfolio, but also at our offices, canteens and Telekom shops: whether in heating and hot water systems, electricity and water consumption, in the use of paper, office supplies and food, or in the handling of the space we use. We are also committed to the preservation of biodiversity with various measures.

Information on the topics of recycling and waste reduction can be found here in the CR report under circular economy.

Milestones achieved, ongoing projects and goals

We sent out the first online invoice 25 years ago to reduce our paper consumption. Since then, we have made a lot of progress – and continue to set ourselves ambitious goals.

Our approach

We want to use resources carefully and sparingly. We pursue various concepts for improving resource efficiency in the workplace – we take into account the energy consumption and space utilization of our buildings as well as water and paper consumption. Like the circular economy, operational resource conservation is also organized in accordance with our “International Framework for Waste Management” (Deutsche Telekom without T‑Mobile US). In addition, we are concerned with the preservation of biodiversity: in addition to nature sponsorships and reforestation projects, our focus is also on our upstream value chain (more information below).

In 2024, we will have Group-wide 86 % of all customer invoices is made available electronically.

In Germany, we saved around 7.2 million letters in 2024 compared to the previous year

• in the business customer segment: 21 % (fixed network) and 18 % (mobile)
• in the residential customer segment: 32 % (fixed network) and 29 % (mobile)

Building operation: reducing greenhouse gas emissions

The operation of our own sites (including heating, cooling and power supply) generates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Overall, however, we obtain more than 90 % of our total energy requirements from renewable energies and only cover a small proportion with conventional (fossil) energy generation (e.g. natural gas for heating). In order to further reduce this share, we are increasingly converting our heating systems to heat pumps. By using ambient heat and integrating renewable energy sources, we can further reduce CO₂ emissions and reduce operating costs.

In addition, we are driving forward intelligent building control. With the help of sensors, we collect data on temperature, humidity, occupancy and energy consumption in real time. Based on this data, we can dynamically adapt the building technology to optimize energy consumption and comfort. We also use campaigns to sensitize our employees to saving energy.

Internationally, we carried out energy-efficient optimizations of large sites and night-time shutdowns of advertising pylons in the reporting year, among other things. Simulation tests showed that technical systems can be operated with lower output.

We describe in detail the measures we are implementing specifically in Germany for energy-efficient building use in the “Deep Dive” section.

Optimized use of space

Reducing vacancies through space reduction and better space utilization are also important levers for reducing our energy consumption and GHG emissions. To this end, we forecast our future demand for office space and test new, more flexible room and office concepts. We reduce space that is no longer needed – for example, by subletting it out. In this way, we avoid vacancies and save energy. At a total of around 11 million square meters, the total amount of our used space fell slightly compared to the previous year (11.2 million square meters).

Land use 2024

Less paper consumption in offices and shops

The operation of a large company like Deutsche Telekom goes hand in hand with high paper consumption. We are pursuing the ongoing goal of eliminating paper as completely as possible throughout the Group (“Paperless Office”). To this end, we reduce paper documents such as invoices, flyers and customer communication and digitize them as far as possible. Internal processes such as sick notes or travel expense reports can also be handled paperless and digitally via an employee app.

We have also introduced print-on-demand systems – printing on demand and on demand. This has many advantages: quick start guides are printed on an order-by-order basis and do not have to be pre-produced, transported and stored. Changes in information sheets for our customers can be implemented at short notice – and there are no large amounts of outdated documents that need to be destroyed.

We are also reducing paper consumption in our shops: there are already paperless shops in Austria, Slovakia and Greece. In Poland, Hungary and Croatia, we have reduced paper consumption by 85 %, including by eliminating brochures and flyers.

Water consumption at a low level

As a service company, for example, we use little water compared to manufacturing companies – and almost exclusively in our offices. Water consumption also plays only a subordinate role in our supply chains. Therefore, water is not one of the material topics of our CR management.

Nevertheless, our environmental policy includes reducing our water consumption. In the reporting year, Group-wide water consumption fell by 3 %.

Water consumption

in m³

Conservation of biodiversity

One of the main causes of biodiversity loss and species extinction is the increasing use of land by industry, agriculture and transport. In 2022, we specified in a statement on the preservation of biodiversity and protection against deforestation how we are doing our part to preserve biodiversity and protect forests from deforestation.

In 2023, we analyzed our impact on biodiversity and our dependence on ecosystem services. The basis for this was the parameters of the ENCORE (Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure) tool. The application helps to better understand and assess natural capital risks. The positive and negative effects of Deutsche Telekom’s business activities on various biodiversity parameters along the upstream and downstream value chain were assessed. This includes, among other things, deforestation, species protection and protection of the oceans and ecosystems.

Our analysis showed that biodiversity is not a directly material issue for our own business operations. As a telecommunications company, we use little space compared to companies in many other industries. Through measures such as the creation of flower strips or mini-forests, we create an ecological balance for the areas we use with our technical, office and warehouse locations, call centers or shops.

However, our business activities have an impact on biodiversity in other areas – especially at the beginning of the upstream value chain. Therefore, our suppliers must comply with our environmental principles, which we regularly check during our on-site inspections. In the reporting year, we also conducted a biodiversity study together with the industry association GSMA, which examines the impact of the mobile communications industry.

Our approaches to the circular economy are also closely linked to the topic of biodiversity. With circular solutions, we can reduce the burden on ecosystems, for example from waste and pollutants. We also offer environmentally friendly products and services that can contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.

Looking ahead

In the coming years, we want to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our building operations in order to achieve our climate targets. In the course of our cooperation with GMSA and through our internal analyses, we will also continuously evaluate the impact of our business activities on biodiversity.