20211117-科尔尼-Why_go_green_in_mobile_telecommunications_4页_855kb

Mobile Telecommunications Sustainability Analysis

Main Findings

• Despite widespread investments in climate change programs and "green" initiatives, most mobile customers are unaware of the environmental impact of mobile phones or network operations and do not prioritize sustainability when making purchasing decisions.
• Consumers generally rate factors like network quality, handset variety, and low prices higher than environmental friendliness or operator sustainability efforts.
• There's a significant gap in energy efficiency among mobile operators, with average power consumption and CO₂ emissions being notably higher than the best practices.
  • Energy consumption is heavily focused on radio access networks (RAN), which constitute a large portion of operational power requirements.
• Sustainability is driven by factors beyond direct consumer interest, including:
  • Reducing operational costs through energy efficiency.
  • Meeting investors' and potentially regulators' expectations for sustainable business practices and environmental responsibility.
• The environmental impact of the mobile sector (e.g., >40 million tonnes of CO2 annually in Europe) is underappreciated by consumers, and operators are hesitant to invest heavily in green initiatives without guaranteed competitive or reputational benefits.

Solutions and Recommendations

1. Reduce Emissions and Costs:

   • Set up an "energy board" to manage energy efficiency standards, implement cost-saving measures from suppliers, and enforce compliance.
   • Reduce electricity consumption per BTS/NodeB by 10% or more through energy-saving equipment selection and optimized cooling.
   • Slash overall power usage by up to 40% by adopting advanced radio technology, potentially saving millions annually.

2. Implement Energy Efficiency Measures:

   • Ensure new network equipment has lower energy consumption.
   • Optimize operating conditions (e.g., slightly raise ambient temperature in summer/warm regions) to cut power needs.

3. Fundamental Role of Sustainability:

   • Increasingly, sustainable management is important for attracting investors and maintaining good corporate reputation.
   • Actively demonstrating sustainability is recommended to counteract public disinterest and potentially shift consumer perceptions over time.