Sustainability
The Sustainability Working Group (SUS WG) aims to enhance awareness and develop expertise on various aspects of sustainability in the digital economy, including electronic communications networks and services. The activities and topics addressed are interlinked with the work of the other WGs of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). The SUS WG works towards a sustainable strategy leveraging BEREC’s expertise to actively contribute to improving transparency, measurement and mitigation of environmental footprint of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). The SUS WG pursues its environmental transparency analysis, the empowerment of end users through information on digital products and services, and the role of the circular approach in the digital economy, such as the life cycle of devices and equipment.
Working Group Co-chairs
Work in 2025
In 2025, the SUS WG will continue working on related topics based on the BEREC Work Programme 2025.
Report on Infrastructure sharing as a lever for ECN/ECS environmental sustainability
The objective of this workstream is to review the practices in this area in the European Union (EU) Member States and the existing impact studies to identify possible development prospects. BEREC will analyse the implementation of the relevant EU provisions, especially Articles 44 and (if relevant) 61 of the Directive (EU) 2018/1972 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 establishing the European Electronic Communications Code – the EECC, in the EU Member States, regarding the co-location and sharing of infrastructures based on, or that encompass environmental considerations. The main goal is to gather the BEREC member National Regulatory Authorities’ (NRA) feedback on how to assess the identified benefits of the environmental impact of network-sharing and/or make decisions that promote the protection of the environment.
Advancing towards environmental data collection on ECN/ECS and contributing to future code of conduct on ECN/ECS sustainability
BEREC will continue its work on sustainability indicators in 2025 and into 2026. BEREC will especially contribute to and support the work of the European Commission (EC) on the future Code of Conduct for Electronic Communications Networks (ECN)/Electronic Communications Services (ECS), expected to be delivered in 2025. It will also work to establish the ground for BEREC ad-hoc data collection with a questionnaire on the implementation of key sustainability indicators that NRAs will be proposed to distribute to their market players.
This work will allow BEREC to provide a report analysing sustainability indicators from main electronic communications operators in Europe based on the current work led by NRAs and the recommended sustainability indicators that will be presented by the EC. This ad-hoc data collection will also enable NRAs to share expertise in terms of methodologies and to reach a level of harmonisation in terms of definitions of main indicators relevant to ECS/ECN sustainability.
BEREC external workshop on digital services’ ecodesign for greener networks and ICTs
BEREC will organize an external workshop in 2025 to deepen its understanding of ecodesign practices and frameworks implemented in the EU. The aim will be to identify the existing tools and best practices enabling the development of digital services sustainable by design. This workshop will gather representatives from public authorities active in the area of digital services ecodesign, market players (e.g., CCIA Europe, ECTA, Connect Europe (ETNO)/GSMA), and environmental specialists to build a comprehensive overview of existing initiatives and stakeholder perspectives on digital services ecodesign.
The following topics will be explored:
- Existing initiatives;
- Ecodesign of digital services’ impact on networks’ efficiency;
- Ecodesign of digital services’ impact against devices obsolescence; and
- Ecodesign potentialities for sustainable emerging technologies.
BEREC external workshop on environmental footprint of satellite constellations
As part of its commitment to incorporating environmental sustainability into its activities, BEREC aims to hold a workshop focusing on gaining a better understanding of the environmental footprint of satellite constellations. This workshop will convene key stakeholders, including regulators, industry representatives, environmental experts, and international bodies, to explore the environmental aspects of these satellite systems. Special attention will be given to the work conducted by the International Telecommunications Union in this area.
Among the topics to be discussed:
- Existing studies on lifecycle environmental impact assessment of satellite constellations and related challenges;
- Challenges related to space debris, luminous pollution, and planetary boundaries, including Earth and Outer Space/orbit resources; and
- Advancements in sustainable satellite design.
Why is this important?
In the past years, sustainability and climate challenges have gained significant momentum. Especially since the European Green Deal, the digital economy and its impact on the environment drawn increased attention, placing sustainability at its heart. Among other considerations, several questions have emerged – How greener networks can be deployed? How can a sustainable approach to digitalization be implemented? How can positive incentives be created for service or device providers?
Published documents
| Document Number | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| BoR (24) 167 | Summary Report on BEREC internal workshop “Telecom regulators' role in the development and implementation of sustainability indicators in the ICT sector” | |
| BoR (24) 186 | Draft Report on Infrastructure Sharing as a lever for ECN/ECS Environmental Sustainability |