Cutting emissions - and inviting our suppliers to join us

26/06/2023

15 minute read

Share

As part of our commitment to reduce our carbon emissions, we have a responsibility to also examine our value chains. At Telenor, we are now reaching out to our suppliers - to require that they too adopt science-based targets for their activities.

Spearheading that effort is Telenor Procurement Company (TPC), that handles all procurement for Telenor companies globally, and we spoke to CEO Thomas Skjelbred about how we will be playing our hand in this game.

Telenor is currently doing several things to reduce the emissions related to our business. Which of these has the largest potential impact?

Thomas: We have two overarching priorities. We take responsibility for our so-called scope 1&2 emissions that we to a large extent control ourselves. Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from owned or controlled sources, and scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy. For us, the main thrust is sourcing renewable electricity. At Telenor, our preferred way of doing that is entering into Power Purchase Agreements, which we hope will incentivize development of new solar and wind farms. However, our biggest carbon footprint is in emissions from our supply chains i.e., emissions generated by the production of all the stuff and services that we buy. These are called Scope 3 emissions. So, the biggest impact we can make is to reduce our Scope 3 emissions. But we cannot just ask our suppliers to fix our problem without demonstrating that we are taking meaningful steps to address our own emissions first.

And how do we prove to the world that we're actually delivering those emission cuts?

Thomas: By setting science-based targets. Targets are considered science-based' if they are in line with what the latest climate science deems necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement - which means limiting global warming to well below 2 C above pre-industrial levels - and pursuing efforts to keep the threshold at 1.5 C. To achieve this, a company's greenhouse gas emissions must typically be halved between 2020 and 2030, and then drop to net zero by 2050. The Science Based Targets initiative, SBTi, is an organization that validates that a company has set credible climate emission targets that are compliant with the 1.5C ambition. They define and promote best practice in emissions reductions and net-zero targets.

As a large procurer of goods and services we have significant leverage. Is this about us throwing our weight around and scaring the living daylights out of our suppliers?

Thomas: This is not about scaring anyone at all. It is about acknowledging that Telenor is an attractive customer, and that we have an opportunity to influence our suppliers to do their part in saving the world form global warming. If some suppliers get scared, it's probably because they are not taking their role seriously yet - and that is OK. But 80% of all emissions and 90% of Telenor's scope 3 emissions come from our supply chain and the goods and services that we buy. Connectivity will be a backbone in the digital society, and if the people who buy our services want to be carbon free, then we must be carbon free, and our supply chain must be carbon free. That is why we have our scope 3 target and why we rely on our suppliers to join the effort. We have two ways to achieve this - we can influence current suppliers to set and pursue SBTs, and/or shift more of the company spend to suppliers that already have and pursue SBTs.

TPC/Global Procurement has so far been concerned with ensuring that Telenor retains its edge in procurement, and that we get competitive rates on everything we need. How are you adapting to this new remit?

Thomas: Clearly, we may experience situations where requirements to select a climate-friendly supplier could reduce the number of qualified suppliers and therefore competition. But we have made sure that we have ways to deal with exceptional cases where there may be unacceptable negative consequences e.g., financially. This is the same approach that we use when limiting suppliers based on their compliance with our ABC requirements. We have spent more than a year informing suppliers and their top management about where we are headed and what we will expect from them, giving them plenty of time to adapt. And we are not alone. Our work involves a structured way of interacting with suppliers in a cross-functional way across the group with sustainability teams, local and global procurement teams all making efforts in the same direction and educating and supporting suppliers.

How are we approaching our suppliers with this message - and will the follow-up be mostly about carrot or stick?

Thomas: Both. We have made SBT compliance mandatory for suppliers with a specific spend threshold and we will increasingly prioritize SBT compliant suppliers. In the coming years the aim is to shift the spend to SBT compliant suppliers, and hopefully this will inspire more suppliers to sign up. Those that don't will be at a disadvantage. Our door will remain open to all suppliers that make the effort to limit global warming and we will be there to guide them.

Photo: Thomas Skjelbred, CEO Telenor Procurement Company.

What if a critically important supplier says nah, we're not going to go along with this ?

Thomas: We have interacted with suppliers for over a year now and so far, no one is outrightly saying this. However, if we are not making any traction with a supplier, we will inevitably shift our spend to a supplier that has set targets and sees eye to eye with Telenor. It should also be noted that any exceptions will need to be approved by Telenor's top management.

Some geographies could perhaps be expected to be quicker to respond than others - where do you see the biggest barriers ahead?

Thomas: You are right. This

LINK:	https://www.telenor.com/media/newsroom/announcement/cutting-emissions-...
	See more stories from telenor

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

02/03/2026

NBC Sports Selected Imaginary Forces to Create Cinematic Main Title Sequence for Primetime In Milan

NBC Sports selected Imaginary Forces to create the main title sequence for the M...

02/03/2026

NFL Launches Draft-Inspired Innovation Challenge to Advance Future of Fan and Event Technology

The NFL announces the launch of the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a new crowds...

02/03/2026

DataMiner SatOps Named Finalist for 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year

The World Teleport Association (WTA) has named Skyline Communications' DataMiner SatOps solution as a finalist for the 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year ...

02/03/2026

Ventum Tech Partners with Pixotope to Expand Virtual Production Capabilities Across the GCC

Ventum Tech announces a strategic partnership with Pixotope, a real-time graphic...

02/03/2026

Victory+ Launches NWSL Content Hub, Taps Top Creators to Redefine How Fans Connect with League

Victory , a free, ad-supported sports streaming service, announces the launch of...

02/03/2026

Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria

Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovi...

02/03/2026

SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek solutions for a more inclusive country

SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek ...

02/03/2026

NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night

NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night Media releases A Midweek Hub for Blak Sport Flagship NRL program Over The Black Dot moves to Wednesdays at 9:30pm ...

02/03/2026

Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness

Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...

02/03/2026

L3Harris Appoints Ken Sharp Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Ken Bedingfield President of Missile Solutions

MELBOURNE, Fla., March 2, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) today announc...

02/03/2026

Nielsen reveals New Zealand's top ad spenders and categories for 2025

Harvey Norman tops New Zealand's biggest ad spenders as retail leads and telcos and beverages sure Auckland March 3, 2026 - Nielsen's New Zealand'...

02/03/2026

aconnic and Arqit join forces to present the first quantum-safe industrial OT security gateway firewall at Mobile World Congress 2026

aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...

02/03/2026

Advanced Systems Group Promotes Jody Boatwright to Chief...

Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...

02/03/2026

Lightware TPN ecosystem powers smarter networks and strea...

Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is reinforcing its commitment to simplifying complex AV environments with the continued evolution of its TPN...

02/03/2026

ZEISS Cinema Hosts First US Aatma Lens Demo Event in LA

ZEISS Cinema opens its doors to an exclusive screening, filmmakers Q&A and hands-on showcase of the new ZEISS Aatma lens family on Tuesday, March 10, 6:00-9:00 ...

02/03/2026

DoPchoice Introduces SNAPBAG Round for the New Astera Qui...

To expand the creative potential of the compact Astera QuikBeam, DoPchoice introduces the SNAPBAG Round. The new light-shaping accessory transforms the powerfu...

02/03/2026

Douglas Dubler Master of Light - Five Decades Shooting w...

Douglas Dubler On a rooftop in New York City, veteran photographer Douglas Dubler watched the sun's angle shift across the urban landscape, his internal cl...

02/03/2026

ZEISS Expands Otus ML Lineup with the New 1435

ZEISS is expanding its Otus ML lens family with the introduction of the new ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35. This manual-focus lens is designed for photographers who live ...

02/03/2026

Matthews Intros White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit by D...

Matthews Studio Equipment now offers the new Dinkum Systems White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit, a compact, highly adaptable setup for mobile content creation...

02/03/2026

SES and Africa Mobile Network Reach Milestone: Connecting 5.8 Million in DRC, Expanding Rural Coverage

Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...

02/03/2026

Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative

02 03 2026 - Media release Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative Ausfilm and Screen Australia have announced Partner with Australia (...

02/03/2026

Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team

Monday 2 March 2026 Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...

02/03/2026

Netflix Unveils the Trailer for '53 Sundays', the New Film by Cesc Gay

Back to All News Netflix Unveils the Trailer for 53 Sundays, the New Film by Cesc Gay Entertainment 02 March 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Dis...

02/03/2026

Fox Corporation President and Chief Operating Officer John Nallen to Participate in Upcoming Deutsche Bank's 34th Annual Media, Internet & Telecom Conference 2026

28/02/2026

FOX Sports Waves Green Flag on 2026 IndyCar Season With Driver's Eye, Heads Up Display, Live Drones

With two features seen in Formula 1 coverage, the broadcaster aims to bring view...

28/02/2026

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Visits L3Harris Solid Rocket Motor Site

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses a crowd of approximately 1,500 L3Harris employees in Camden, Arkansas, as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour....