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This year, the Puget Sound Business Journal debuted the Environmental and Sustainability Awards program to recognize Washington businesses that are making meaningful steps toward emissions reduction and climate stewardship.
When T-Mobile resolved to eliminate its entire carbon footprint, it sought to back its approach up with science.
The Redmond-based wireless service provider signed onto Amazon’s carbon emissions initiative, The Climate Pledge, early last year.
But it went a step further, extending its net-zero goal across its entire supply chain and seeking validation of its efforts from the Science Based Targets Initiative, an organization that sets rigorous, data-backed standards for corporate climate action.
As a result, T-Mobile says it has cut carbon emissions by 20% since 2020. That includes direct emissions from its operations and facilities, as well as indirect emissions from purchased electricity, suppliers and customers. It covers everything from the materials it uses to the fuel required to ship its products.
Besides benefiting the planet, T-Mobile said its aggressive approach is good for business. Company officials cited a study from consulting firm PwC that says 80% of consumers and workers are more likely to buy from, or work for, companies that share their values.
That makes its annual corporate responsibility report a valuable tool to enforce accountability. The 2022 report, for instance, laid out plans to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses, set out 54 DE&I “promises” to be achieved by 2025 and charted how it would address digital equity in communities across the country. It also outlined the company’s renewable energy and waste management strategies to reach net-zero by 2040.
“T-Mobile takes a strategic approach to corporate responsibility, placing focus and investments on areas where we can drive the greatest impact through our operations,” Janice Kapner, who leads communications and corporate responsibility, wrote in the report.
The company is increasingly focusing on its supply chain to cut emissions, a move it believes will continue to have a significant impact on its environmental initiatives. But that adds a new level of challenge when it comes to tracking and managing their performance.
Meanwhile the goals have influenced the planing of its logistics and distribution operations and even the layout of its mobile network. More efficient deliveries enabled it to take 1,300 trucks off the road in 2022, the wireless carrier said. Another kind of traffic – data demand on its network – actually increased in 2022, but was largely offset by more efficient energy use. That includes strategic pruning of cell sites and temperature control at data centers.
The company has also worked with local governments to boost recycling services across its retail stores providing ways for customers and employees to dispose of everything from batteries and bulbs to aerosol cans and small electronics.
“The repercussions of climate change are felt in nearly every facet of society, and there is real urgency to make meaningful changes to how we operate right now to ensure a better tomorrow,” the company said in a statement to the Business Journal.
Corporate Citizenship Awards
The Corporate Citizenship Awards luncheon honors local corporate philanthropists and companies who have made significant contributions to our region.
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