Mobile industry cuts operational emissions 13% since 2019 but needs faster renewables access
Mobile network operators worldwide have cut their operational emissions by 13% since 2019 even as connections and data traffic have surged, but faster access to renewable electricity, particularly in emerging markets, will determine whether the industry stays on course for net zero by 2050, according to a new report published by the GSMA, the global trade body for the mobile industry.
The Mobile Net Zero 2026: State of the Industry on Climate Action report, released in London on 14 July 2026, analyses energy and emissions data from more than 110 mobile operators representing 85% of global mobile connections. It found that the industry’s operational emissions fell by 5% in 2024 alone, and by 13% over the period from 2019 to 2024.
The reductions were achieved against a backdrop of substantial growth in the sector’s footprint and workload. Mobile connections increased by 10% over the same five-year period, while data traffic carried across mobile networks more than quadrupled, meaning operators delivered steep emissions cuts per unit of connectivity and data.
Renewable energy remains the single largest driver of the industry’s decarbonisation, according to the report. Operators purchased or generated around 70 TWh of renewable electricity in 2024, a volume the GSMA notes is equivalent to the total renewable electricity generation of Indonesia. The share of operator electricity sourced from renewables, over and above the renewables already present in national grid mixes, has more than doubled since 2019, rising from 10% to 24%.
John Giusti, chief regulatory officer at the GSMA, said the industry continues to demonstrate that economic growth, digital connectivity and climate action can advance together, with operators connecting more people and carrying more data while still reducing emissions. He added that while the progress is encouraging, more needs to be done, and that access to renewable energy remains one of the biggest factors determining how quickly operators can decarbonise. He said policymakers have a vital role in creating conditions that enable investment in clean energy infrastructure and accelerate the transition.
The report identifies uneven access to renewable electricity as the central constraint on the industry’s climate trajectory, with operators in emerging markets facing the greatest barriers. In many of these markets, corporate procurement mechanisms for clean power are limited or unavailable, grids remain carbon-intensive, and permitting for new renewable capacity is slow, restricting the options available to operators seeking to cut the emissions associated with powering networks.
To accelerate progress, the GSMA recommends that governments create policy environments that encourage investment in renewable energy generation and grid infrastructure, modernise electricity markets to improve corporate access to renewables, and streamline permitting processes to speed up clean energy deployment. These measures, the association argues, would allow operators to convert their demand for clean power into new capacity more quickly, supporting both national decarbonisation goals and the industry’s 2050 net zero commitment.
The findings are relevant beyond telecommunications, as the mobile sector’s experience illustrates the wider corporate decarbonisation challenge: even industries with strong demand for clean energy and falling operational emissions face structural limits imposed by grid carbon intensity and market access, factors that also shape corporate demand for renewable energy certificates and carbon credits used to address residual emissions.
