Telefónica ESG 2025: key indicators and progress toward a sustainable model

Telefónica reaffirms its leadership in sustainability with the release of its ESG Profile 2025 and ESG Data Book 2025. These publications present the company’s core environmental, social and governance indicators. They also complement Telefónica’s Management and Sustainability (ESG) Report 2025, which is prepared in accordance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), and Spanish Law 11/2018 on non-financial information and diversity.

Telefónica’s sustainability strategy aims to transform connectivity into a positive impact driver, advancing digitalization while reducing environmental impacts, strengthening trust and promoting inclusive growth. 

A sustainability strategy aligned with SDGs and European regulations

Since 2021, Telefónica has carried out a double materiality analysis, identifying the impacts, risks, and opportunities (IROs) that shape its long-term sustainability roadmap.

In 2025, Telefónica continued to align its sustainability reporting with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, reinforcing comparability, transparency and accountability across ESG disclosures.

Environment: energy efficiency, circular economy, and net-zero emissions 

Telefónica remains committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, with targets validated by the SBTi initiative.

By the end of 2025: 

• Telefónica had reduced total Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 49% versus 2015.
• Scope 1 and 2 market-based emissions stood at 129,431.93 tCO₂e, while Scope 3 emissions stood at 2,800,109.42 tCO₂e. The company also reported a 91.16% reduction achieved in Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
• Renewable energy reached 100% in Europe and Brazil, and 93% overall.
• Telefónica’s connectivity and Eco Smart services helped customers in Spain, Germany and Brazil avoid 19.2 million tonnes of CO₂e in 2025. 
• In circular economy, Telefónica reused or recycled 95% of its waste. Telefónica also met the GSMA circularity commitment by reusing and recycling 100% of its network equipment and mobile devices by 2025. 

People: inclusion, diversity, and purpose-driven talent

The social pillar of Telefónica’s ESG strategy focuses on digital inclusion, accessibility  and the development of a sustainable portfolio of products and services, as well as on diversity, employee engagement and wellbeing. 

In 2025:

• Rural mobile broadband coverage reached 95% in Spain, >99% in Germany and 86% in Brazil.  
• Telefónica also reported 5G coverage of 95% in Spain, 99% in Germany and 67% in Brazil.  
• Women represented 35.3% of senior management.  
• Fundación Telefónica helped around 1 million people improve their digital skills in 2025, supporting employability and digital inclusion, especially among vulnerable groups and rural communities. 
• Awareness initiatives on responsible technology use reached more than 49 million impacts across Telefónica’s footprint. 

Governance: ethics, privacy, cybersecurity and responsible AI

Since 2002, Telefónica has had a Board-level committee overseeing sustainability matters, reinforcing ESG governance at the highest level.

 In 2025: 

• Telefónica reported zero material data breaches, zero customers affected by material data breaches and 0% personal data compromised.
• Telefónica maintained its sector leadership in digital rights, holding 1ˢᵗ position in the Ranking Digital Rights index for the last three editions. 
• In supply chain management, Telefónica awarded contracts to 6,973 suppliers in 2025 and carried out 17,219 supplier audits covering labour, occupational health and safety, environmental, human rights, conflict minerals, security and data protection, and supply-chain management criteria. 
• Telefónica trained 73,957 employees in its Responsible Business Principles in 2025. 
• On responsible AI, Telefónica added an Artificial Intelligence category to its ESG Academy and describes a governance model including a Responsible AI Office, Responsible AI Champions and an Artificial Intelligence Group of Experts. 

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