Climate change and energy

As part of its energy and climate change strategy, in 2008 Telefónica made a commitment to reducing electricity consumption in its networks by 30% and electricity consumed in its office-based activities by 10% by 2015.

In 2008, Telefónica made a commitment to reduce electricity consumed on its networks and in its offices by 30% (1) and 10% (2), respectively, by 2015. These savings would considerably reduce the Company's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at global level.

Since 2007 Telefónica has been using an in-house methodology based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and ISO 14064, which is applied throughout the company, to calculate its GHG emissions.

Thus, Telefónica knows the level of GHG emissions directly controlled by the company, which are referred to as Scope 1 emissions. It also knows the level of emissions deriving from its activities but generated by other entities (electricity generators), referred to as Scope 2 emissions. Finally, as of 2008, it is also now able to measure the emissions associated with employee business travel, considered Scope 3 emissions.

Last year, Telefónica's total electricity consumption was 4,828(3) GWh, down approximately 41.7 (3) to 39.1 (3) kWh/equivalent access (4).


Climate Change Office

For Telefónica, the fight against climate change is not only a core element of its environmental and CSR policies but also a challenge it must address for reasons of economy and efficiency, and a new source of business opportunities that could help strengthen its competitive positioning in a global market.

In this respect 2008 was a landmark year for Telefónica: on 26 June, at the Zaragoza World Expo, Chairman César Alierta announced that the company was setting up a Climate Change Office and establishing Group-wide targets for reducing energy consumption.

The remit of the Office, which is overseen by the Business Transformation Division and General Technical Secretariat for the Chairman’s Office, is to ensure reductions in the energy consumption and GHG emissions associated with the Group's activities, to foster the development of services that enable customers and other sectors to become more energy efficient, and to position the ICT sector as a central solution to the climate change problem.