Research project ‘Comparability of sustainability standards for electronic telecommunications infrastructure’
A reliable database is required to record the ecological footprint of telecommunications networks. The EU Commission plans to publish a code of conduct for the sustainability of telecommunications networks (Code of Conduct for the sustainability of telecommunications networks) at the end of 2025. Its purpose is to increase transparency regarding the ecological footprint of telecommunications networks. Preliminary work has already been carried out in a study by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission (2024), which identifies eight must-have indicators for telecommunications networks. These relate to three categories: energy management, greenhouse gases and the circular economy.
Against this backdrop, the Federal Network Agency has commissioned Öko-Institut Consult GmbH to conduct a study on the comparability of sustainability standards for telecommunications infrastructure (TKI). The aim of the study is to create a scientifically sound basis for defining suitable sustainability indicators. The study is also intended to support companies in selecting a suitable standard for reporting sustainability indicators.
The subjects of the study are telecommunications networks, consisting of mobile access networks (RAN), fixed access networks (FAN), cable access networks (CAN) and the transport and core network.