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A whitepaper from the Digital Connectivity Forum (DCF), an industry think-tank, has attempted to highlight how AI (Artificial Intelligence) technologies can help the UK telecoms (broadband, mobile etc.) industry reduce emissions, strengthen climate resilience, and meet increasingly demanding regulatory and investor expectations.
The somewhat basic high level overview – ‘AI for Sustainability: Accelerating Net Zero in the UK Telecoms Sector‘ (PDF) – seems unlikely to hold too many surprises for network operators, many of which have already begun adopting so-called AI technologies to help cut energy consumption (e.g. all the major UK mobile operators are doing things in this area – examples here, here and here), get more out of their infrastructure and improve data processing to aid customer support.
The new report identifies six domains that could benefit from AI, including energy optimisation, customer carbon reporting, upskilling for sustainability literacy, Scope 3 & Supply Chain improvements, sustainability focused decision-making and climate resilience & adaptation. But it also makes several recommendations to help deliver AI results.
Recommendations
- Governance for Sustainable AI: Establishing cross functional oversight and ethical standards.
- Developing the right data and technology foundations: Building scalable, trustworthy, and efficient data platforms.
- Embedding ‘sustainable by design’ within AI development: Embedding ESG principles into AI design and prioritising energy-efficient models.
- Assessing AI’s environmental impact: Using tools and methodologies to assess and report AI’s footprint.
- Mitigating AI’s environmental impact: Optimising models, hardware, and infrastructure to reduce energy and carbon intensity.
- Educating employees on Sustainable AI: Upskilling teams across roles and lifecycle stages to embed sustainability into AI.
Alex Mather, Head of the DCF, said: “AI has a critical role to play in helping the telecoms sector deliver Net Zero, improve resilience and unlock long-term value. This paper makes clear that success depends on a dual approach – using AI to drive sustainability outcomes while ensuring AI itself is deployed responsibly and sustainably. We hope this report provides a practical roadmap for industry leaders and policymakers alike.”