Telefónica is making progress in the technological and sustainable transformation of its networks to offer increasingly efficient, reliable and high-quality services. The company has managed to reduce its energy consumption by 12%, despite a twelve-fold increase in data traffic flowing through its networks between 2015 and 2025.
This progress translates into a significant improvement in energy management, with consumption of 29 MWh per petabyte of traffic – 92% lower than in 2015 – highlighting the technological evolution of its infrastructure and its ability to manage growing volumes of data more efficiently.
The commitment to more advanced networks enables Telefónica to respond to the exponential increase in traffic whilst maintaining high levels of operational excellence. This progress is key to decoupling business growth from energy consumption, one of the main objectives of its climate strategy.
Next-generation networks and automation
Improvements in energy efficiency are underpinned by the continuous evolution of networks, particularly through the roll-out of fibre — up to 85% more efficient than copper — and 5G — up to 90% more efficient than 4G — as well as the incorporation of automation and artificial intelligence into infrastructure management via the Autonomous Network Journey (ANJ) programme.
“Today we are able to move huge volumes of data using only a fraction of the electricity we needed a decade ago. Our energy efficiency demonstrates that digitalisation and sustainability can go hand in hand, strengthening the resilience of our networks and the digital ecosystem and bringing us closer to our purpose of being the best gateway for citizens, businesses and public administrations to digital technologies,” says Maya Ormazabal, Global Director of Sustainability at Telefónica.
In an environment marked by more extreme temperatures, this energy optimisation helps adapt infrastructure and mitigates risks associated with rising energy prices.
Progress in decarbonisation
At the same time, Telefónica has managed to reduce its total emissions by 49% over the last decade, including across the value chain, consolidating its position as one of the sector’s leading companies in decarbonisation.
The operator has achieved a 91% reduction in operational emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) since 2015 —exceeding the 90% target set for 2025— and a 34% reduction in relevant Scope 3 emissions since 2016.
These advances are the result of implementing various decarbonisation levers, such as the use of renewable energy – 100% in its main markets – continuous improvement in energy efficiency, collaboration with suppliers and the promotion of the circular economy.
This progress constitutes a significant milestone within Telefónica’s climate strategy, aligned with a 1.5°C scenario and validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), with the aim of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, a decade ahead of international commitments.
With these results, Telefónica reinforces its position as one of the most advanced European companies in the integration of technology and sustainability, demonstrating that the development of next-generation networks can simultaneously drive operational excellence, emissions reduction and business growth.
