Study – com­pa­ra­bil­i­ty of sus­tain­abil­i­ty stan­dards for telecom­mu­ni­ca­tions net­works

• Research project
• Content and findings of the study

Measuring the environmental footprint of telecommunications networks depends on a reliable basis of data. The European Commission plans to publish a Code of Conduct for the sustainability of telecommunications networks at the end of 2025. The aim is to improve transparency in respect of the environmental footprint of telecommunications networks.

Preparatory work has already been carried out by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC); its report published in 2024 identified eight "Must Have" indicators for telecommunications networks. These indicators relate to three categories: energy management, greenhouse gases and the circular economy.

Research project

Against this background, the Bundesnetzagentur commissioned the following study:

The objective of the study was to provide a scientifically robust basis for defining suitable sustainability indicators. The study was also intended to support businesses in selecting an appropriate standard for reporting sustainability indicators.

The study covered telecommunications networks, comprising radio access networks (RAN), fixed access networks (FAN), cable access networks (CAN) and core networks.

Content and findings of the study

A method for assessing the comparability and suitability of standards was developed based on a list of relevant standards identified in advance. The relevant standards were looked at to determine similarities and differences when using the same and different standards.

The authors of the study concluded that there is only restricted comparability both when using the same standard and when using different standards. This is because of the large degrees of freedom in selecting the underlying parameters, such as the measurement period and frequency and the allocation rules.

In the last part of the study, an estimate was made of the effort involved for businesses in introducing and using the standards identified.
In conclusion, the study lists which standards are recommended for inclusion in the Code of Conduct.

The European Commission and the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) were both involved in the study. The relevance of the findings for the Code of Conduct was discussed jointly.