Sustainable digital transformation investments with environmentally friendly technology from Türk Telekom

Turkish Telekom, which implements Solar Energy Plants (GES) and Electric Vehicle Charging Network services, supports the digitalization processes of local governments with smart city applications, smart products, and services. The company, which continues its sustainable digital transformation investments with environmentally friendly technology, recently carried out a Eurobond issuance of $500 million within the Sustainable Financing Framework.

Placing sustainability principles at the center of its strategies to leave a more livable world for future generations, Turkish Telekom reflects its vision of turning technology into goodness and benefit in all business processes. With a technology approach that improves the future, the company accelerates green transformation, making significant efforts in combating climate change and improving energy efficiency.

Kaan Aktan, Deputy General Manager of Finance at Turkish Telekom, stated, ‘With our technology approach that improves the future, we continue to take environmental steps while integrating sustainability principles into all our business processes and maintaining a leading role in digital transformation. In addition to Solar Energy Plants (GES) and Electric Vehicle Charging Network services, we reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by offering solutions in smart city planning, electricity, and irrigation using artificial intelligence and IoT technologies. While integrating the latest environmentally friendly systems into our data centers, we also continue our efforts to reduce carbon emissions in our mobile base stations through the installation of new generation green network technologies. We have been reporting to CDP since 2011. With the accelerated actions in recent years, raising our CDP score reported in 2023 by two levels compared to the previous year to the ‘B’ Management level is a major indicator of our determination in climate action. Turkish Telekom aims to achieve a 45% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030 compared to the 2020 base year and aims to reach Net Zero in 2050 in line with the targets of Turkey and GSMA. As the first company in Turkey outside the finance sector to issue a Sustainable Eurobond, we successfully completed an issuance of $500 million. We believe that this issuance, which we carried out as a pioneering role in ensuring sustainable transformation in our country, will be an important source to finance our company’s environmental technology investments for a sustainable life.’

Sustainability-focused initiatives

Continuing its efforts in line with the 10 universal principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) to contribute to sustainability principles and climate risk management, the company has established a Sustainability Committee within its structure to integrate the sustainability approach into all areas of activity. Turkish Telekom, which aims to achieve a 45% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030 compared to the 2020 base year and plans to reach Net Zero in 2050 in line with the targets of Turkey and GSMA, reinforces its environmental goals in the energy sector, which holds a significant place in the emissions of the telecommunications sector. The company, which published the Sustainability Report themed ‘Sustainable Transformation through Communication’ in 2023, stated in the report that it reached the goal of increasing the production capacity obtained from solar energy by 60% for 2023 in 2022, and increased its capacity allocated within the scope of GES installations to 405.8 MWe. Leading many projects that add value to Turkey, Turkish Telekom started to provide electric vehicle users with a safe, environmentally friendly, and uninterrupted charging service powered by generators through the E4 Charge-Electric Vehicle Charging Network project launched in 2023. Lastly, the company, which realized the first Sustainable Eurobond issuance outside the finance sector in Turkey, will largely use the $500 million source in projects focusing on environmentally friendly technologies.

Environmental steps with digital transformation and smart city applications

In addition to Solar Energy Plants (GES) and Electric Vehicle Charging Network services, Turkish Telekom, which leads the digitalization processes of local governments with smart products and services, offers the best environmentally friendly solutions in many areas such as transportation, life, health, environment, energy, and security, providing efficiency in many areas. Operating smart city applications in 15 cities in Turkey, Turkish Telekom achieves up to 30% energy savings with smart lighting projects, plays an effective role in reducing the time spent in traffic by approximately 35%, achieving a 30% savings in fuel consumption, and making 25% less carbon dioxide emissions with smart intersection solutions. Turkish Telekom, which saved energy by 81 GWh annually with efficiency and optimization projects implemented in 2022, obtained an additional 46 GWh energy savings in 2023 with energy efficiency projects developed.