(Credit: AT&T)AT&T Inc. is a multinational telecommunications company with nearly $169 billion in annual revenues — the largest cellular carrier by revenue and the third largest by subscribers. The company has a storied history, dominating U.S. phone service for much of the last century. It was known as the Bell System and nicknamed Ma Bell. But in 1982, regulators split the company into Baby Bells or regional phone companies.
As one of the world’s largest companies — 13th on the Fortune 500 — it says its responsibility to the environment and the cause of the environment runs deep. As a connectivity provider, AT&T is well-positioned to connect the technology that will enable the global transition to a net-zero economy. “The more widely 5G and other broadband technologies are available, the greater their impact will be on that transition. Specifically, our efforts to bridge the digital divide help support climate resiliency and climate justice. In a world with more frequent and severe climate-related weather events, broadband is crucial for the services that safeguard people before, during, and after natural disasters.”
AT&T plans to be net-zero by 2035 concerning its Scopes 1 and 2 emissions — those tied to its operations and the fuels it buys. It is guided by science-based targets aligned to keep temperature rises to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius by mid-century from pre-industrial levels. It is also working with its suppliers to ensure they try and reduce their Scopes 1 and 2 emissions by 50% during this time.
It aims to cut its Scopes 1 and 2 emissions through improved energy efficiencies and to replace fossil fuel usage with renewable energies. It plans to reduce greenhouse gases by 63% by 2030 from a 2015 baseline.
Most of the company’s emissions are tied to Scope 2 from purchased electricity. And most of that goes to power its network, representing where AT&T can make the most significant impact. The goals are to cut electricity consumption, increase the purchase of energy-efficient tools, and buy more renewable energy. Such projects are well underway, and in 2020, it deployed 8,800 projects that saved the company about $40 million. Since 2010, it has had nearly 147,000 energy efficiency projects, which saved the carrier about $694 million.
AT&T’s global fleet of cars produces most of its Scope 1 emissions. It set a goal to cut those releases by 20% by 2020. It cut them by 30%. It has done so by optimizing routes, switching to hybrid and electric vehicles, and reducing the overall size of the fleet. The remainder of its Scope 1 emissions primarily come from refrigerants and stationary/mobile generators.
AT&T has systematically ratcheted up its renewable energy purchases — from a few megawatts to 1.7 gigawatts, making the company one of the biggest buyers of cleaner energy. The company is a member of the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance, which comprises companies such as Google, Facebook, Walmart, General Motors, Disney, and Salesforce, targeting 60,000 megawatts of non-utility renewables deployments by 2025. The group has multiple aims, namely to lower the barriers to entry and to step up and provide market signals that companies want clean energy.
It bought 155 megawatts of solar power from Vitol, consisting of two virtual power purchase agreements: 80 MW and 75 MW, in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The company says its 1.7 gigawatts is the equivalent of avoiding the CO2 from 590,000 homes AT&T previously purchased 500 megawatts of solar power in Texas in 2019, which it says was the largest U.S. corporate solar energy deal at the time.
“AT&T is investing in renewable energy because it is good for the planet and good for our business,” said Joe Taylor, vice president of global infrastructure optimization and implementation at AT&T. “In addition to reducing our emissions footprint, deals like the ones with Vitol allow us to hedge against changes in energy costs and support economic development in communities we serve.”
Another focus is delivering connectivity solutions to its customers — an effort to reduce their emissions and increase their buildings’ resiliency to survive extreme weather events.
The successes:
“We have set a goal to deliver connectivity solutions that enable our business customers to reduce 1 gigaton (one billion metric tons) of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035,” it says. “We’re working to understand the threats we face from climate change and take steps to prepare our infrastructure to withstand more frequent and severe extreme weather events. Fortifying our network is critical for the millions of people who rely on the connectivity we provide.”
The economy and the environment have a simpatico relationship — that investments in green technologies are driving a commercial expansion, all of which is reducing greenhouse gases and creating opportunities. Corporate America is leading that charge by generating the market demand for 21st Century tools and fuels, reducing financial barriers, and accruing to the benefit of smaller enterprises that also want to do their share.
