Irekvist promotes Ericsson’s efforts to reach net-zero emissions

To celebrate Earth Day on Monday, Ericsson AB signed on with the federal government’s national program that aims to get businesses to net-zero emissions by 2050, the Net-Zero Challenge. Two executives explained how Ericsson Canada plans to hit that target 10 years early. The telecom equipment manufacturer wants to cut emissions by half this decade and by half again in the 2030s. According to Bhusan Joshi, the Swedish company’s head of North America sustainability, it can do this both in-house and through the material it sells to its customers. “Our product in Rogers networks or T-Mobile/Verizon’s networks here in the U.S., that’s about 90 per cent of our value chain emissions,” Joshi told the Wire Report on Tuesday. “So what we’re doing there is to drive down deployed products that are increasingly more and more energy efficient. The more efficient we make our product, it helps us achieve our net-zero goal but then it also helps our customers reach their goals as well.” He noted that standards for the telecom industry have been established by the International Telecommunications Union. This will provide continuity globally. Jeanette Irekvist, the president of Ericsson Canada, noted on the same phone call that 5G networks are more energy efficient than the 4G grids they are replacing. Further efficiencies will be achieved as manufacturers embed new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, into their gear. “The more intelligent the network becomes, it can be self-healing, it can be self-starting. That means that you will be more efficient when you run your network,” she stated. “It also means that you need to send less trucks, less people out on sites to manage networks because you can do it smarter remotely.” She reports that Rogers Communications Inc., a major Ericsson client, has been able to slash its output of greenhouse gasses by 3,000 metric tonnes annually. “If , that’s about as many fuel emissions, CO2 emissions, as 640 cars make over a year,” the president explained. The information and communications technology sector itself is a relatively clean operation. It produces only 1.4 per cent of the global carbon footprint. But it has the potential to cut emissions across industries by 15-20 per cent through connectivity solutions. Joshi feels firms will want to sign on. “Sustainability is no longer a good thing to do, it’s a business objective for our customers as well,” he noted. The government said it is happy with the new venture. “We’ve received an incredible response from the private sector since the Net-Zero Challenge was launched in August 2022, with over 180 companies participating to date,” Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault said in a statement. “In committing to net-zero, leading companies like Ericsson are taking action now to help safeguard Canada’s environment for our children and grandchildren.” Irekvist said working with the Canadian government was a good fit. “Canada is internationally seen as a country that is in the forefront of sustainability and driving this aspect across many different industries, not just our industry, but many different industries,” she remarked. “So for us it feels very natural, kind of joining those efforts and highlighting that that drive is here and that we as a company absolutely will work with any institutions that are driving these things in Canada.” As an advisor to the North American Sustainability Council, the Ericsson president practices what she preaches. This week the council has been conducting efforts to tackle pollution in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. Including one project that sees volunteers cleaning up debris in local parks. – Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca

Irekvist promotes Ericsson’s efforts to reach net-zero emissions

News | April 23, 2024

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Irekvist promotes Ericsson’s efforts to reach net-zero emissions

News | April 23, 2024

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