The mobile industry has cut operational emissions by 8% since 2019 despite booming demand for data and connections but progress needs to accelerate fast if it wants to meet net zero by 2050.
That’s the warning from mobile industry body GSMA’s latest Mobile Net Zero report, which says emissions must now fall by 7.5% every year until 2030 – more than double the current average – to stay on track.
While global emissions have risen 4% since 2019, mobile has managed to break the link between data growth and carbon.
Data traffic has quadrupled and connections have risen 9% yet emissions have fallen – a sharp contrast to most sectors.
China, the world’s biggest mobile market, is beginning to turn the corner. Preliminary 2024 data shows a 4% cut in operational emissions after a 7% rise between 2019 and 2023.
The drop comes with a fourfold rise in renewable energy use and more than one billion 5G connections.
Renewables powered 37% of electricity used by disclosing operators in 2023, up from 13% in 2019. That shift alone helped avoid 16 million tonnes of emissions. Europe has led the charge with a 56% drop in operational emissions followed by North America at 44% and Latin America at 36%.
Steven Moore, GSMA’s Head of Climate Action, said: “Our findings show the mobile industry isn’t greenwashing or greenwishing – it’s green acting. Emissions are trending in the right direction but the pace of progress must now double.”
Operators are switching off legacy networks, improving energy efficiency and investing in solar, storage and better grid access.
Some are benefitting from stronger policy support but many still face patchy access to clean power.
Scope 3 emissions – mostly from manufacturing and supply chains – now make up over two-thirds of the industry’s footprint and remain a blind spot.
Transparency is improving but reductions here will be key to meeting science-based targets.
Meanwhile, second-hand phone markets are booming. Nearly half of users are considering refurbished devices, which produce up to 90% fewer emissions than new ones.
The market is projected to hit $150 billion by 2027.
Climate transition plans are emerging as the next major focus. The GSMA says these will be central to its climate programme over the coming year.
Copyright © 2025 Energy Live News LtdELN