6G Networks: Sustainability-by-Design Drives Telco Future
Sustainable development has rapidly evolved from a corporate responsibility exercise to a strategic imperative for communications service providers (CSPs) and vendors. Guided by the Brundtland Report’s landmark definition, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”, the sector faces mounting pressure to balance growth with ecological stewardship. For telecom professionals, sustainability translates into three core dimensions: environmental, social and economic.
Environmental sustainability: Sector risks and priorities
Environmental sustainability remains top of mind for telecom leaders. The sector’s reliance on “natural capital”, the interconnected assets of land, water, air and biological resources, means that infrastructure resilience, spectrum licensing and site selection are all influenced by shifting environmental conditions.
Unfortunately, growing network energy demands, continued fossil fuel consumption and escalating greenhouse gas emissions pose overt operational risks. With climate change manifesting as more frequent and severe floods, droughts and heatwaves, network planning and continuity risk assessments increasingly account for environmental volatility.
The trends have prompted CSPs to prioritise net-zero strategies, driven by regulations such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and China’s Corporate Sustainability Disclosure Standards (CSDS).
Many businesses see climate change as a top risk to their operations. Energy security, emissions reduction and regulatory compliance are now prominent in boardroom strategy.
Net zero and ESG: Realigning network strategy
The Paris Climate Agreement and its 1.5°C trajectory have made ESG performance and net zero commitments central to telecom transformation. CSPs must not merely procure renewable energy, but demonstrate tangible reductions in network and device lifecycle emissions.
Lifecycle analyses now extend to manufacturing, deployment, operation and end-of-life management of both core networks and user equipment.
Nokia’s five Sustainability-by-Design (SbD) principles for 6G principles include energy efficiency and GHG reduction, AI sustainability, hardware efficiency, resilience, climate adaptation and value-oriented design.
These apply across terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), influencing everything from data centre design to radio access optimisation.
Sustainability in telecommunications is a responsibility that extends beyond operational metrics to societal impact. “Digital technologies underpin critical aspects of our lives, but we have a responsibility to ensure the cost of these benefits is not paid for by future generations,” explains Subho Mukherjee, Vice President and Global Head of Sustainability at Nokia.
Energy efficiency and network decarbonisation
The radio access network (RAN) accounts for roughly 80% of energy use during network operation. Lowering energy consumption in both networks and user equipment while minimising greenhouse gas emissions is essential as operators work toward net-zero targets.
To achieve this, machine learning, analytics and digital twin technologies are increasingly deployed to automate power savings, optimise site activation and enable predictive maintenance.
Transitioning to renewables alone cannot deliver net-zero: full lifecycle emissions must be addressed, including device manufacturing.
The industry’s forward-looking stance involves shifting focus from legacy KPIs like throughput and latency to sustainability-centric key value indicators (KVIs), such as minimised energy use and reduced carbon impact.
Resilience and climate adaptation: sectoral transformation
The telecommunications sector is acutely exposed to environmental and geopolitical disruptions. Resilient networks must be hardened against extreme weather events, supply shocks and cyber threats. Robust infrastructure is vital in an unpredictable world.
Adaptive traffic management, redundancy, and recovery mechanisms are becoming core standards for service continuity.
Advanced security protocols and dual-use capabilities are being embedded at every layer, meaning privacy, safety and recovery are fundamental to network design, especially as systems evolve towards 6G.
Value-oriented design: Social inclusion and business value
6G’s evolution signals a paradigm shift, away from purely technical specifications and towards technology that is inclusive, accessible and economically valuable. Sector leaders advocate for connectivity that extends coverage to rural and underserved regions via NTNs, reverses rural depopulation and boosts digital literacy.
Improved positioning services, low-latency access and advanced mobility support can unlock broader societal and economic opportunities, driving value for both communities and enterprises.
Industry collaboration: The SUSTAIN-6G project
The SUSTAIN-6G project serves as the European Lighthouse collaboration for telco sustainability.
Bringing together 24 partners across 10 countries, including operators, standards bodies (3GPP, ITU, ETSI) and research institutes, the consortium synthesises sustainability requirements for 6G, validates operational innovations and drives international standards development.
The initiative exemplifies sector-wide commitment to a holistic, cross-industry response.
Sector leadership for a sustainable epoch
Sustainability is now integral to telecom network evolution, catalysing operational resilience, decarbonisation and inclusive service models.
The next generation of mobile technology isn’t just about delivering higher technical performance; it’s about creating greater value for businesses and society while reducing energy consumption, cutting carbon emissions and enhancing resilience.
The telco industry stands at the frontier, architecting not only upgraded networks but a sustainable future for all stakeholders.
