Mixed views on Ofcom's role in driving net zero efforts

This month our panel of industry experts unravel the extent to which Ofcom should help co-ordinate and accelerate the comms industry's decarbonisation efforts, whether by creating an enabling environment or more directly through reporting and governance frameworks.

STEPHEN WARBURTON

ZEN PARNTERS

Facilitated by an Ofcom roundtable discussion, 12 major telcos, Zen included, have committed to build an industry consensus on how we can work together to reduce GHG emissions in our supply chain. Cross industry collaboration and knowledge sharing are crucial elements to ensuring transparency, so everyone can identify and tackle their Scope 3 emissions. There is an onus on these telcos now, with the support of Ofcom, to turn this commitment into action and lead the way on sustainability reporting as well as transparency on emissions in our supply chain. This will create a blueprint for others to follow for their own sustainability efforts.

STEPHEN MCINTYRE

NIMANS

I don’t think Ofcom should be taking the lead.  It is easy to sit back and say that is for the government or industry bodies to sort out but that is not true. We shouldn’t abdicate this responsibility to the industry watchdog, we should all stand up and be counted. Each of our own small steps forward can add up to something much greater. Our One Plan approach to sustainability encourages everyone, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors to get involved in sustainable actions. There are plenty of partners out there that can help companies towards their net zero targets. The easiest place to start is with local councils and chambers of commerce as they have been given funding for exactly this kind of activity.

ALAN STEPHENSON-BROWN

EVOLVE

Ofcom should not shoulder the responsibility alone - the entire sector must take a collective role in galvanising the industry around net zero priorities. Efforts may suffer from a lack of collective accountability and knowledge sharing, which calls for a joint commitment from all stakeholders. Ofcom can play a leading role by setting the stage for collaboration and providing guidance, but the industry should actively participate in enabling these changes. Ofcom can also facilitate greater transparency and reporting standards by implementing mandatory requirements for telecom companies and channels to report on their net zero progress. We are all responsible for driving positive change and building a sustainable future.

CAMILLA KARM

REDSQUID

To be truly committed to achieving net zero emissions collectively, it is imperative that the entire industry comes together and motivates one another towards a greener future. Ofcom does have a responsibility towards driving that change. The path towards ESG targets should be transparent and shared, as real progress can only be attained when we collaborate and support each other. The only way to do this is to be transparent and share the resources and knowledge we have. Doing so, we absolutely can lead the charge towards a more diverse, sustainable and responsible industry.

CHERIE HOWLETT

JOLA

Ofcom could drive sustainable practices, encourage green initiatives and collaborate with telcos to align the sector with net zero goals, ensuring a more environmentally responsible and sustainable future. Collaboration and knowledge sharing will foster sustainability, and we have partners that need us to have green credentials. Together, we can address sustainability challenges and drive positive change, but we need to make the process easy for businesses to take part in. Ofcom could help channel businesses by offering support and advice to help us focus on activities which have the greatest impact and help us to measure progress.

JAMIE HUGHES

EVOLVE IP

Ofcom should take more of a role, especially around providing advisory guidelines as currently the picture is fragmented. Most organisations are tackling this in their own way and we need all the dots joined to make a much greater impact. A focus on internal practices and processes leads to a lack of collective accountability and knowledge sharing. We are just one cog in the wheel with other companies further up the chain contributing a lot more. There needs to be more transparency in general and more businesses should highlight the carbon reduction activities on their websites, providing customers with the information about the emissions that they create and how they are working to reduce it.

JO BALLARD

MAINTEL

The environment is an area where regulators can assist by establishing clear reporting standards across industries and mandating appropriate disclosure frameworks. The vast array of regulations and voluntary reporting undoubtedly make it difficult for organisations to share knowledge and hold collective accountability across the supply chain. Our industry's efforts suffer from different approaches, many of which present information in a way that is difficult for other organisations to absorb when using an alternative framework. We are seeing a gradual coming together of frameworks and regulations. But this will take time and regulators can do more to assist, enabling telcos to focus on the transition to net zero rather than the myriad of differing reporting requirements.

IAN DUNSTAN

COLBALT

I can't help but feel that Ofcom is ticking boxes of what they should be doing. Its work on getting women into senior tech roles has been good but we are still way behind where it should be. Now Ofcom has moved to net zero and has a single page environmental policy. Aligning your strategy to the government's is not enough. 2050 is too late. Ofcom needs to educate others and get their own house in order. We are proud to be carbon neutral and can tell others how we did it. Ofcom should do the same and share their journey.

MARK BURLAND

FIRST CLASS COMMS

It’s not up to the regulator to drive change in helping telcos to become more sustainable businesses. Change needs to come from the bottom up, by companies recognising the benefits of greater sustainability and by encouraging each other to do better. It can take a great deal of investment to implement schemes throughout a business, particularly for larger firms. A good start is to share experiences, providing a collective foundation which we can build on together. Adoption of a standardised assessment model for telcos would help companies work out where they are, see how the industry leaders are doing better, and discover how they can improve.

SIMON WOODHEAD

SIMWOOD

Ofcom’s role is to protect the consumer and promote competition. It has plenty of work to do there. Net zero is not a sector-specific issue - it is a central government issue. Ofcom should focus on its remit. The biggest bang for the buck comes from fixing perennial issues around anti-competitive behaviour and such utterly broken processes as number portability. How much energy is wasted on a number port for a SME, or the inefficiency of onward routing? The regulator should know these answers and should itself be targeted to reduce them.