Telefónica’s environmental footprint

In 2008 we implemented an Operational Control Standard applicable across the whole Telefónica Group, thus introducing the best practices of environmental management to our fixed and mobile telephony operations and minimizing Telefónica's environmental footprint.

Telefónica strives continuously to minimize the impact of its activities on the environment. In 2008, as part of our global Environmental Management System, we wrote an Operational Control Standard that reflects best practice in the environmental management field.

We developed our Standard by identifying the environmental concerns surrounding the activities and processes involved in rolling out our networks and then framing good environmental management practices specifically for each network. Impact control will help minimize the company's footprint as and when the Standard is put into practice in the countries where we do business.

The environmental concerns identified in Telefónica's operations are:

• Energy use
• Waste (particularly electrical and electronic equipment and batteries)
• Radio wave emissions
• Environmental and visual impact
• Noise
  

The table below identifies the main environmental concerns associated with each network rollout process - network planning and construction, operation and maintenance, and final dismantling of assets.



The Standard - set to be implemented in full from 2009 to 2011 - is specially important in countries lacking suitable environmental legislation. The Standard provides a general framework enabling the entire organization to select the best ways to minimize our environmental footprint.

For further information about each of the environmental concerns mentioned here in the specific sections devoted to them and in the CSR Atlas, which highlights actions completed in 2008 in the countries where the company does business.