SKT, First Domestic Telecom Company to Pass SBTi Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target Verification

SKT employees are testing single LAN technology.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-sun] SK Telecom announced on the 2nd that it has become the first domestic telecommunications company to pass the verification of greenhouse gas reduction targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

SBTi is a global coalition jointly established in 2015 by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), World Resources Institute (WRI), and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which verifies companies' greenhouse gas reduction targets.

More than 3,500 companies worldwide participate in SBTi, and this is the first time a domestic telecommunications company has had its greenhouse gas reduction targets verified by SBTi.

SKT's greenhouse gas reduction targets include not only direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions generated from providing telecommunication services but also emissions from all stages of business operations such as production of equipment for telecommunication services, distribution network operation, employee commuting and business trips, and waste disposal.

SKT plans to reduce the total amount of direct greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1) and indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 2) for providing telecommunication services by approximately 47.7% by 2030 compared to 2020. Additionally, it plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all stages of business operations (Scope 3) by 22.3% by 2030 compared to 2020.

SKT submitted these greenhouse gas reduction targets and plans to SBTi for verification. Going forward, it will gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the use of renewable energy, development and introduction of high-efficiency telecommunication equipment, and improving heating and cooling efficiency in office buildings.

Verification of greenhouse gas reduction targets through SBTi is gaining attention as it objectively verifies corporate ESG activities and enhances credibility amid the accelerating transition to a carbon-neutral society.

SKT has actively practiced ESG management by being the first in the telecommunications industry to join RE100 (a global campaign to convert 100% of corporate electricity use to renewable energy), introducing Single Radio Access Network (Single RAN) technology that reduces network equipment power consumption by 53%, and receiving carbon credits of more than 10,000 tons annually.

Thanks to these efforts, SKT received the highest grade, 'Leadership A,' from the Carbon Disclosure Project in January this year, which evaluates ESG management performance from an environmental perspective.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.