FEATURE
Avoid greenwashing
The greener a brand is , the more likely it is to attract customers and maintain higher prices compared to its competition . Responsible companies want to buy from responsible vendors .
But , while it ’ s tempting to hype your green credentials , operators must be careful with overpromises , or worse , untrue claims . Disingenuous messages are likely to be spotted by consumers and watchdog organisations and can cause a negative impact on a brand ’ s reputation .
This same honesty is vital in attracting and retaining staff . Integrating sustainability initiatives into the day-to-day business strategies and honest communication around challenges and achievements will help operators to secure the talent they need for future success .
Embrace new innovation
There ’ s already good work being done by telcos around the world in the field of energy management . The good news is that progress is happening all the time . We ’ re seeing many individual operators take proactive opportunities to implement strategies like intelligent load management to better control energy consumption and costs . However , operators must also look to the long term to consider more creative , ambitious approaches to managing their energy consumption . When it comes to specific initiatives coming down the line , in the months and years ahead , we ’ re likely to see an eventual move away from the traditional diesel generator towards hydrogen fuel cell technology .
Innovations to look at closely include new and emerging battery technologies like sodium-ion that may present additional opportunities for off-grid operation and energy management . And , as on- and off-grid power management becomes more sophisticated , we could see networks evolving into microgrids that generate and share their own power across the network and with the utility .
Although not all of these technologies are viable alternatives in the access network today , there ’ s a bright future ahead for telcos committed to being sustainable . What ’ s more , operators are fast realising that they must collaborate with one another and share best practices to drive innovation across the board and together achieve a net zero future . Thankfully , progress is already happening , as more and more telcos recognise being sustainable isn ’ t just the right thing to do – it ’ s also crucial to ongoing business success . �
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