Communications vendor Ericsson says broadband networks are critical to creating a low-carbon society and should be added to the agenda of the coming UN conference on climate change.

 

Ericsson CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg says mass deployment of broadband can accelerate the shift from physical to virtual infrastructure and services. “We would like to see ICT and telecom on the agenda for the global climate negotiations in Copenhagen later this year,” he said.

 

The conference is held under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as a successor to the Kyoto Protocol agreement.

 

Svanberg said Ericsson technologies had been deployed around the globe to reduce energy consumption and corresponding CO2 emissions, “demonstrating our firm belief that telecommunications is both an essential part of the equation in solving global climate change and critical to the development of more carbon-lean societies.”

"At the same time, we have shown that our technology has the power to change lives. We have played a crucial role in bringing telecommunications to the poorest of the poor in sub-Saharan Africa, by harnessing the power of telecommunications as a tool for accessing basic services and information and improving people's lives."

 

Releasing Ericsson’s CSR report, he said the company exceeded its annual targets for improving the energy efficiency of its GSM and W-CDMA radio base stations.

 

In 2008, Ericsson set its first Group-level carbon footprint target, aiming for a 40% reduction over five years, and starting with a 10% reduction in 2009.  

 

The company provided telecom infrastructure, mobile applications and expertise to connect half a million people as part of the Millennium Villages project. To date 60% of villages have been connected, covering 55% of the Millennium Villages population. 

 

The report also includes details on the compliance by suppliers of Ericsson’s code of conduct, which is aimed at ensuring that suppliers understand and meet Ericsson's environmental and social standards. The report has been independently verified by Det Norske Veritas, Ericsson said.

 

For the second year running, Ericsson was named a “China Green Company” by the Daonong Enterprise Institute, Guanghua School of Management and Beijing University.