Covering Disruptive Technology Powering Business in The Digital Age

ZTE Corporation, a global leading provider of information and communication technology solutions, recently announced that its science-based targets, achieving greenhouse gas emissions reduction in line with the 1.5°C temperature rise limitation pathway and ultimately reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and listed on the SBTi’s target dashboard.

ZTE has become the first large-scale ICT tech company in China to receive official approval for both the near-term and long-term GHG emission reduction targets and secure a place on the CDP A List, showcasing a pivotal achievement in its active response to global climate challenges.

The Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a global initiative jointly launched by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). This initiative aims to set emission reduction targets based on climate science to encourage companies worldwide to reduce carbon emissions in line with the requirements of the Paris Agreement, collectively addressing the challenges posed by climate change.

Climate Change: A Pressing Problem In Need of a Resolution

Climate change has become an urgent reality, necessitating action from all sectors. The information and communication technology (ICT) industry, with its characteristics of efficiency, cleanliness, greenness, and sustainability, is well-positioned to respond to this challenge.

Leveraging technologies such as high-speed connectivity, massive storage, and intelligent computing, the ICT industry not only enhances resource allocation and production efficiency for the entire society but also helps customers across various sectors achieve energy savings and emission reductions.

ZTE has been actively responding to international decarbonisation trends, and since 2021, the company has formulated a green and low-carbon strategy based on digital intelligence innovation, focusing on four key dimensions: Green Operation, Green Supply Chain, Green Digital Infrastructure, and Green Empowerment. This strategy aims to build a green pathway for digital economy, internally promoting its own green initiatives and externally empowering industry energy conservation and carbon reduction.

Firstly, ZTE established ambitious systematic high-standard goals. Through deep cooperation with internationally recognised testing, inspection, and certification organisation SGS, ZTE submitted greenhouse gas emission reduction targets based on the 1.5°C pathway and long-term net-zero targets to SBTi in September 2023.

Specifically, by 2030, ZTE aims to reduce scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions relative to the 2021 baseline by 52%, reduce scope 3 carbon emissions per unit of product performance by 52% (using the physical intensity method), with no increase in total emissions, and achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2040 and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Secondly, ZTE integrates green and low-carbon concepts deeply into end-to-end operations. The company practices comprehensive low-carbon operations by focusing on R&D laboratories, production lines, central air conditioning, and other high-consumption facilities to reduce resource consumption and environmental impact while also increasing the use of smart photovoltaic new energy integration.

In terms of green supply chain, ZTE integrates green and low-carbon measures throughout the supply chain, builds carbon emission models, and promotes upstream and downstream collaboration to reduce emissions. For green digital infrastructure, ZTE targets “clean energy, ultra-efficient ICT, intelligence network,” focusing on improving product efficiency and creating a “zero” carbon network.

In the area of green empowerment, ZTE has launched green precision cloud network solution based on the “Digital Nebula” architecture, dedicated to enabling various industries to achieve energy conservation, emission reduction, and efficiency improvement.

ZTE Is Making Inroads

ZTE has achieved remarkable results in sustainable development. In 2023, the company’s overall carbon emissions decreased by 9.7% year-on-year, with operation carbon emissions (scope 1&2) decreasing by 3.0% year-on-year, and all indirect (scope 3) carbon emissions in the upstream and downstream decreasing by 9.8% year-on-year.

Over the past two years, operation carbon emissions (scope 1&2) decreased by 15.6% year-on-year, the unit energy consumption intensity of the company’s total energy consumption increased by 18.1%, and the self-built and self-used photovoltaic power generation installed capacity increased by 700%.

Furthermore, ZTE has long been committed to constructing next-generation digital infrastructure through end-to-end green solutions, reducing energy consumption per bit through technological innovation, and helping global operators save 10 billion kWh of electricity annually through intelligent photovoltaic power generation, hydrogen fuel cells, liquid cooling, AI energy conservation, and other advanced technologies.

As a “Driver of Digital Economy,” ZTE will continue to promote global economic green and sustainable development, contributing to climate change mitigation and shaping a shared future for the world.

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