Deutsche Telekom’s Sustainability Statement: An ESG Pledge
Deutsche Telekom has released its Sustainability Statement as part of its Annual Report, showcasing the company's commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.
The comprehensive report, compliant with the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), offers a transparent look into Deutsche Telekom's sustainable business practices and future goals. The leading telco has been publishing these types of non-financial statements since 2017.
- Reducing total CO2 emissions by 25% in the last four years
- €1.1 billion put forward in 2024 to promote digital society and benefit 34 million people
Crucially, the company’s statement sets out its ambitious climate neutrality goal, stating that it will become climate neutral across Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2040.
“We have already achieved a lot. We have reduced our CO2 emissions by 25% compared to 2020,” shares Melanie Kubin-Hardewig, Vice President Group Corporate Responsibility at Deutsche Telekom.
The journey towards 2040 net zero
Deutsche Telekom’s sustainability target involves reducing emissions by up to 95% compared to 2017 levels, with the remaining emissions offset through measures focused on long-term carbon removal from the atmosphere.
The telco has already made significant progress towards achieving its goals, reducing CO2 emissions by 25% compared to 2020 levels. As part of its 2040 climate neutral goal, it also has set an interim target of reducing carbon emissions in Scopes 1-3 by 2030, relative to 2020 levels.
Melanie adds: “The energy efficiency of our network has improved by 20% and consumption fell from 70kWh/terabyte in 2023 to 56kWh/terabyte in 2024.”
A key component of Deutsche Telekom's sustainability strategy is to also improve energy efficiency and transition to renewable energy sources. Since 2021, the telco has been meeting all its electricity requirements with renewable energy, resulting in the energy efficiency of its network improving by 20% due to modernisation.
This means Deutsche Telekom is also making significant progress in implementing circular economy principles, aiming to ensure that almost all products brought into circulation can be returned to the circular ecosystem by 2030.
“In Germany and Europe, we took back 5.5 million devices,” Melanie says. “We have achieved our goal of “Zero ICT Waste to Landfill” in Germany and Europe since 2022. We dispose of and recycle 100% of electrical waste properly.
“Since the end of 2022, we have only been using plastic-free packaging for all new Telekom-branded devices and all smartphones sold.”
The statement also highlights that Deutsche Telekom has been using plastic-free packaging for all new Telekom-branded devices and smartphones since the end of 2022.
Social responsibility and workforce diversity
As part of its ESG progress, Deutsche Telekom is eager to commit to being a responsible place to work.
For one thing, employee diversity has been a critical focus, with 37.5% of its executive board being female. Now, the company wants to achieve a group-wide share of 30% women in management positions by the end of 2025. Currently it is 28%.
“38% of our employees work in Germany and 62% internationally,” Melanie notes. “Our values and standards are anchored in our Code of Human Rights and drive our actions and our Health & Safety measures empower and strengthen our employees.”
This commitment by Deutsche Telekom hopes to boost its connectivity commitments and support more people across its footprint.
“We shape the digital society. In 2024, our engagement was worth around 1.1 billion euros to us. Between 2024 and 2027, we aim to support more than 80 million people,” Melanie explains.
“In 2024 alone, 34 million people worldwide have already benefited from our commitment. Our measures include media literacy programs such as “Teachtoday” in Europe or “Project 10Million” in the US.”
A sustainable - and financially rewarding - future
Looking ahead, Deutsche Telekom's commitment to sustainability goes hand in hand with a strong financial performance. The company has already reported a 3.4% increase in total revenue to €115.8 billion (US$120.59bn) in 2024, with service revenues growing by 3.9% to €96.5 billion (US$100.49bn).
As a result, Deutsche Telekom expects further earnings growth for 2025. As the telecommunications industry continues to evolve, its commitment to sustainability positions it as a leader in responsible business practices, with the telco hoping to set a benchmark for others in the sector to follow.
Melanie adds: “Our sustainable business goes hand in hand with our goals – for society and the environment. We are sticking to that.”
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