AXIATA SIGNS SCIENCE BASED TARGET INITIATIVE PLEDGE TO COMMIT TO NET ZERO INITIATIVE

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 -- Axiata Group Bhd has formally committed to net zero by signing its commitment to Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) to reach the initiative target no later than 2050.

Jointly driven by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the SBTi is the lead partner of the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign.

In  a statement today, Axiata said it is the first telecommunications company in Malaysia to adopt the SBTi, joining more than 50 mobile operators globally to urgently address climate action.

President and group chief executive officer Datuk Izzaddin Idris said demand for network coverage continues to grow and. in fact, has accelerated following the onset of COVID-19, as people and businesses embrace digitalisation at an unprecedented pace.

“This signing marks an important milestone in Axiata’s sustainability journey as we aligned with the global movement championing a stronger sense of urgency and real results from climate action initiatives.

“As we invest in network expansion and continue to improve our coverage with newer technologies, we are cognisant of the need to mitigate the environmental impact from current and potentially higher energy consumption while also implementing innovative solutions to address our energy needs,” he said.

Izzaddin said the SBTi commitment will also strengthen Axiata's Net-Zero Carbon Roadmap, which is targeted to be launched by the first quarter of 2022.

The roadmap will lead the group’s operating companies towards a single trajectory on industry-led climate action, he said.

Under the roadmap, he said the group aimed to reduce its carbon footprint by decreasing emissions from its network and connectivity ecosystem. These account for the largest contributors to its environmental impact under the Scope 1 and Scope 2 definitions of carbon emissions.

“Unless we proactively take steps to improve our energy efficiency, use more renewable energy and reduce the carbon intensity of our operations while contributing to regional digital telecom green innovation, our network growth to support higher data consumption would only put more strain on the environment,” he added.

-- BERNAMA