Market Overview: Telcos Go Green

With concerns over the environment — and climate change in particular — going green has emerged on the agenda of governments, enterprises, and citizens alike. While the information and communications technology (ICT) sector accounts for 2% of overall carbon emissions, that output is set to double by 2010, according to the recent 2008 Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) report — with the communications component increasing to 25%. Today, seven green initiatives are under way at global communication firms to reduce internal emissions and help improve their customers' emissions. In the future, Forrester sees the ante only upping as communications firms get even more strategic about the initiatives that they pursue both internally and externally. Strategists at telco firms must get an action plan in place soon to make sure that they are contributing to emission reduction as good citizens — and keep ahead of the competition by helping customers go green.