Building a Sustainable Future: The Circular Economy, ESG, Recycling and Telecoms

19/10/2023

Find out how Shields’ ESG strategies and MarketPlace software are driving efficiency, sustainability, and profitability in the telecoms industry.

 

Telecommunications companies are aware of the crucial role they play in connecting people and businesses worldwide. However, they also understand that their industry can significantly impact the environment and society.

A strong ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategy can help them manage this impact effectively and create long-term value for all stakeholders.

Implementing a solid ESG strategy, through circular economy solutions like MarketPlace, can bring many wins for the telecoms industry – making companies more attractive to investors, customers and prospective employees. By sharing your ESG strategy goals and achievements with stakeholders and customers, it may be possible to give your company a competitive edge.

That’s where we come in.

As a leading provider of cutting-edge technology and industry expertise for the telecommunications field, we understand the benefits that a strong ESG strategy can provide. Our on and off-site services enable networks to operate more efficiently, sustainably, and profitably.

We are proud to offer MarketPlace, our cloud-based inventory management platform, as a solution to the problem of overstocking and ultimate pricing efficiency.

MarketPlace combines the circular economy with easy-to-use end user software to provide a more environmentally friendly procurement model. This is key game changer for telecom operator’s ESG strategies. MarketPlace helps reduce your environmental footprint through the reuse and refurbishment of equipment and by doing so, we enable telecom operators to report on CO2-e avoidance. Something which will become mandatory for many countries with the 2024 introduction of the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and is an essential element of any ESG strategy.

Research by our dedicated ESG team at Shields shows that the current annual global spend for telecom network operators is $92.5 billion. We calculate that 20% of this spend could easily be facilitated through MarketPlace, meaning that 117,834,395 assets could be purchased from existing surplus equipment rather than being manufactured and shipped by the OEM on a recurring annual basis.

A study by an independent research body, Zevero, showed that purchasing assets through MarketPlace instead of placing orders with the OEM results in an average carbon saving of 89% per asset. Which is clearly significant!

Therefore, if all network operators sourced just 20% of their assets from MarketPlace’s circular economy software, this would equate to a 13,684,108 MT reduction in the industry’s emissions. This reduction would significantly contribute to the telecoms sector’s net-zero targets by 2030 to 2040.

Furthermore, MarketPlace generates valuable data on e-waste that telecom operators can use to report on the millions of devices that have been refurbished or recycled. This data can be used to showcase a company’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, which can positively impact reputation and relationships with stakeholders and the growing interest of customer’s desires to support sustainable companies too.

Shields can help contextualize this information and assist with ESG reporting, providing transparency to employees, customers, and the investor community. By providing clear and concise ESG reports, companies can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and social responsibility and improve their overall reputation in the industry.

MarketPlace powered by Shields offers a real-time global view, identifying the most efficient sources for assets required by a telecom operator. It generates regular reports on CO2 and cost reductions that have occurred from day 1 of implementation*. This system can become integral to your network’s ESG strategy as it provides tangible evidence of the company’s environmental impact improvements. Which is something many governments may require in the future to help support their net zero goals. Onboarding with MarketPlace now means you’ll be prepared and our dedicated teams regularly stay up to date with global legislation to make sure you’ll always be prepared too.

Shields Environmental is committed to helping our clients develop and implement strong ESG strategies that create value for all stakeholders. With our cutting-edge technology and 44 years of industry expertise, we can help you overcome the unique set of challenges faced by telecommunications companies in their sustainability efforts. So why not partner with us and build a more sustainable future?

To find out more about MarketPlace and how you can get started visit our webpage or book a demo today.

*Reporting data is taken from day one not necessarily always available from day one.