Telefónica’s 2026-2030 Sustainability Plan

Sustainability is part of Telefónica’s transformation and its way of facing an environment marked by digitalisation, climate risks and social and economic changes.

The 2026-2030 Sustainability Plan is the roadmap with which the company seeks to integrate these challenges into its strategy, placing sustainability as a lever for generating value and competitiveness. To this end, it is based on KPIs quantified with real data from 2025 – which show measurable impacts on business growth, operational efficiency, investment attraction and risk mitigation – and incorporates new strategic dimensions, such as the responsible use of artificial intelligence, climate risk management and the promotion of a safe and inclusive digital environment, while reinforcing initiatives that have already been proven in value generation, such as energy efficiency and the circular economy.

The Plan materialises Telefónica’s sustainability strategy and is integrated into the Transform & Grow strategy.

“We activate sustainable progress in three key dimensions that generate real value for business, society and the planet.”

In summary: the keys to the 2026-2030 Sustainability Plan

• The Plan integrates sustainability into Telefónica’s strategy and acts as an accelerator for Transform & Grow.
• It is structured into Environment, Social and Governance, with 12 strategic lines.
• The Environment addresses the carbon footprint, renewable energy, the circular economy and climate resilience.
• Social promotes responsible digitalisation, rural coverage and the reduction of the digital divide.
• In Governance, ESG criteria are integrated  into the organization, procurement, financing and technology. 
• Its main novelty is to link sustainability with the generation of value for the business, articulated in four dimensions: growth, efficiency, investment attraction and risk mitigation.

Download Telefónica’ s 2026-2030 Sustainability Plan here:

What is Telefónica’s 2026-2030 Sustainability Plan?

The 2026-2030 Sustainability Plan is the global roadmap with which Telefónica integrates sustainability into business and decision-making. Its 12 strategic lines are grouped into three dimensions: Environment, Social and Governance.

This vision connects environmental, social, and governance factors with efficiency, growth, access to capital, and risk management.

The 12 lines are distributed as follows:

• Environment: Zero operational emissions, low-carbon value chain, circular asset management and adaptation and resilience to climate risks.
• Social: Responsible and inclusive digitalisation, sustainable B2B offer, diversity and inclusion, and sustainable branding and content.
• Governance: Policies and processes, responsible supply chain, access to sustainable capital, and ethical and safe technology.

Environment: how is Telefónica driving the green transition?

Telefónica’s environmental strategy combines decarbonisation, renewable energy use, circular economy and climate adaptation. The goal is to move towards a low-carbon operation that also improves efficiency, optimises resources and increases the resilience of networks. The company develops this approach in greater detail in its space on energy and climate change.

How does Telefónica reduce its carbon footprint?

Telefónica seeks to reduce its carbon footprint through more efficient grids, renewable energy, renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) and the progressive reduction of emissions associated with its value chain.

The horizon is to move towards net zero emissions by 2040 throughout the value chain. By 2030, the Plan establishes among its objectives:

• Achieve 100% renewable.
• Reach 50% PPAs.
• Reducing scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 56% compared to 2016.

The value chain is especially relevant because part of the emissions related to the activity are produced outside direct operations. For this reason, the Plan incorporates climate criteria in purchases and relationships with strategic suppliers aimed at using efficient and durable equipment.

Circular economy and climate resilience

The circular economy seeks to maximise the value of equipment and materials throughout their life cycle, reducing the use of resources and prolonging their use. Telefónica also has a specific section on its circular economy strategy, where it develops initiatives for the reuse, recycling and extension of the useful life of equipment.

The Plan contemplates:

• reduce resource consumption;
• increase the useful life and reuse of equipment;
• incorporating recycled materials;
• to encourage the sale of second-hand equipment;
• promoting recycling and the sale of waste.

The objective is synthesised in the Zero Waste commitment, based on design, reuse and recycling.

Added to this is adaptation to climate change. Telefónica seeks to incorporate climate risk analysis into asset management and develop an Adaptation Plan that reinforces the resilience of networks.

By 2030, it is planned to have more than 5,000 critical assets with individualised climate risk calculations.

Social: how does Telefónica contribute to a more inclusive digitalisation?

The Social pillar is based on the ability of technology to generate opportunities when its benefits reach more people. Telefónica combines connectivity, accessibility, digital well-being, sustainable supply and people development.

“We promote a more digital, inclusive society with greater well-being.”

What is Telefónica doing to reduce the digital divide?

Telefónica seeks to reduce the digital divide by expanding connectivity and promoting responsible and inclusive access to technology. This line is specifically developed on Telefónica’s digital inclusion page, which addresses infrastructure, access, digital skills and responsible use.

The Plan focuses on technologies such as fibre and 5G and pays special attention to:

• families and digital protection of minors;
• older people;
• people with disabilities;
• residents in rural areas;
• accessible products and channels;
• responsible and safe use of technology.

The goal for 2030 is to increase the digital well-being of customers and rural coverage.

In this way, reducing the digital divide does not depend only on having coverage. It also implies making it easier for different groups to use digital services in an accessible, safe and responsible way.

Sustainable digitalisation for companies and people

In B2B, Telefónica seeks to offer solutions that help its customers improve their security, resilience, efficiency and responsible digitalisation.

The Plan considers digitalisation to be a lever for economic progress and a driver for decarbonisation. This relationship between digital and environmental transition is developed in Telefónica’s green digitalisation section, which includes Eco Smart services and their contribution to energy efficiency, resource savings and emissions reduction.

The social dimension also reaches the organisation. Telefónica seeks to develop talent, promote diverse teams and promote well-being. Its goals include reaching 37% of female managers by 2027. The Plan extends this commitment to sustainable branding and content, with initiatives aimed at raising awareness in society, promoting responsible marketing and the development of sustainable productions. In this way, Telefónica seeks to integrate sustainability criteria also in the way it communicates, creates content and relates to its audiences.

Governance: how does Telefónica integrate ESG criteria into its strategy?

ESG criteria bring together environmental, social and governance factors that allow sustainability issues to be incorporated into management and business decision-making.

In the field of telecommunications, they affect various fields: from emissions and energy consumption to digital inclusion, privacy, cybersecurity or artificial intelligence.

Telefónica proposes an ESG governance framework that integrates sustainability into strategy and decisions to reduce regulatory risks and strengthen business resilience.

ESG in the organisation, suppliers and financing

The Plan contemplates integrating ESG across the board through policies and processes, certifications, ESG criteria in M&A, artificial intelligence applied to sustainability management and data control.

This vision extends to suppliers through ESG in procurement, due diligence, strategic supplier support and sector collaboration. Telefónica’s value chain page  expands the model of responsible procurement, evaluation and relationship with suppliers.

By 2030, Telefónica aims to evaluate more than 95% of potential high-risk suppliers.

Sustainability also affects access to capital. The Plan covers sustainable financing, taxonomic alignment and monitoring of ESG ratings and rankings. To expand this scope, Telefónica maintains a specific section on sustainable financing with its main frameworks and financial instruments linked to sustainability.

According to the public figures for 2025 included in the Plan, more than 40% of Telefónica’s total financing corresponds to sustainable financing.

Responsible AI, privacy, and cybersecurity

Ethical and safe technology is another strategic line of the Plan.

Telefónica seeks to use digital trust as a differentiating factor for the customer. Through a comprehensive governance model that allows a secure, reliable and scalable deployment of artificial intelligence.

This approach is based on 3 concepts:

1. Responsible AI.
2. Privacy by design.
3. Comprehensive cybersecurity.

These areas also have a specific space in Telefónica’s Global Transparency Centre, where content on privacy, security, artificial intelligence and responsible use of technology is grouped.

How does the Sustainability Plan generate value for the business?

Telefónica presents sustainability as a strategic lever for value creation. The Plan identifies four main paths: growth, efficiency, investment attraction and risk mitigation.

1. Growth: The Plan generates value by opening up new business opportunities linked to digitalisation, decarbonisation and the circular economy. In 2025, Telefónica recorded €743 million in revenues from products and services with a positive impact, €1,789 million linked to the circular economy, equipment and assets and attended to more than 120 ESG requests from customers.
2. Efficiency: The Plan contributes to reducing costs through energy efficiency and renewable energy purchase agreements (PPAs), and to optimising processes with a responsible use of AI. The Plan also includes a loan linked to ESG criteria of €5,500 million.
3. Investment attraction: The Plan improves access to sustainable financing and reinforces the attractiveness for investors who incorporate ESG criteria. More than 40% of Telefónica’s total financing already corresponds to sustainable financing.
4. Risk mitigation: Reduces exposure to energy volatility, extreme weather events, and regulatory and market risks. Renewable PPAs represent €1,234 million of committed cash, which helps limit uncertainty about energy costs.

Telefónica’s sustainability goals for 2030, in figures

Among the main objectives included in the Plan are:

• 100% renewable.
• 50% PPAs.
• -56% of scope 3 GHG emissions compared to 2016.
• Zero Waste through design, reuse and recycling.
• More than 5,000 critical assets with individualised climate risk calculation.
• Increase customers’ digital well-being and rural coverage.
• 37% of women executive by 2027.
• More than 95% of potential high-risk suppliers evaluated.
• Maintain the commitment to sustainable financing.
• Advancing ethical and responsible AI and leadership in digital trust.

Download Telefónica’ s 2026-2030 Sustainability Plan here:

Frequently asked questions