DALLAS, Sept. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* has
committed to be carbon neutral across its entire global operations
by 2035. The company is also expanding its Climate Change Analysis
Tool (CCAT) across the contiguous United
States to identify the potential impacts of climate change
on the network and operations – up to 30 years into the future.
The company will achieve net zero Scope 1 and 2
emissionsi – the yearly equivalent of 1,104,036 homes'
electricity useii – by focusing on six key
initiatives:
- Virtualization of many network functions: AT&T will
be eliminating significant portions of energy-intense network
equipment and rely instead on low-cost, energy-efficient hardware
that can virtualize the functions of the network equipment. As a
result, the company will be able to deploy new capabilities faster,
utilize less energy and lower its greenhouse gas emissions
footprint. The company currently has 75% of its core network
functions virtualized.
- Transitioning to a low-emissions fleet: AT&T will
continue to bring down emissions from its operational fleet by
optimizing routes, switching to hybrid vehicles and reducing the
overall size of the fleet. The company is also planning for the
decarbonization of its fleet.
- Accelerating energy efficiency and network optimization
efforts: Each year, AT&T implements thousands of energy
efficiency projects across its network and operations, bringing
down electricity use and reducing costs.
- Expanding sustainable feature film and TV production:
WarnerMedia reduces the energy and resource consumption associated
with film and television production through cleantech solutions,
sustainable products, and reuse and waste reduction efforts.
- Supporting the renewable energy marketplace: By entering
into power purchase agreements with renewable energy developers,
AT&T reduces its emissions footprint, hedges against rising
energy costs and helps to add more clean electricity to the U.S.
power grid.
- Investing in carbon offsets: Though AT&T aims to
reduce its footprint to as close to zero emissions as possible,
there may be some sources of emissions that cannot be eliminated.
In these cases, the company will invest in carbon offsets to cover
the associated emissions.
Expanding the Industry-leading Climate Change Analysis Tool
to Better Prepare for Natural Disasters
While striving for carbon neutrality, AT&T knows it also
needs to continue its path of adaptation and resilience. Thus, the
company is expanding its industry-leading Climate Change Analysis
Tool (CCAT) from four pilot states in the Southeast to the entire
contiguous U.S. to identify the potential impacts of climate change
on its network and operations – up to 30 years into the future.
Climate impacts will include flooding and hurricanes, as well as
drought and wildfire projections across the U.S.
Over the past 5 years (2015-2019), AT&T invested more than
$135 billion in its wireless and
wireline networks, including capital investments and acquisition of
wireless spectrum and operations. Over this same period, AT&T
invested more in the United States
than any other public company. AT&T has spent about
$1 billion recovering from
climate-related severe weather events since 2016. With the
expansion and implementation of CCAT, AT&T can better ensure
the resilience of its infrastructure.
"Our network is tested by climate change and natural disasters
every year," said John Stankey,
AT&T chief executive officer. "We recognize the long-term
impact these commitments can have, and we owe it to the millions of
customers who rely on our services to create the most resilient and
sustainable business we can."
A CCAT pilot, supported by climate change projections from the
U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, launched
in 2019 and focused on the regional climate impacts in the
Southeast such as hurricanes and flooding. For example, AT&T
can cross-reference its fiber cable locations with projected
sea-level rise in the year 2050 to understand where to harden its
existing infrastructure and to better plan for future builds with
resilience top of mind.
Last year, the company launched the AT&T Climate Resiliency
Community Challenge for universities to collaborate with local
governments in the Southeast to conduct climate risk analysis using
the data developed by Argonne National Laboratory and shared by
AT&T. AT&T provided $250,000
to assess climate risks and help boost community resilience in 5
geographies. University and community recipients were Appalachian State University (Boone, NC), Georgia
Institute of Technology (Atlanta,
GA), University of Georgia
(Athens, GA), University of Miami (Miami, FL) and University
of South Florida (St. Petersburg,
FL).
As with the pilot, AT&T will make the climate modeling data
calculated by Argonne National Laboratory for AT&T available to
the public, including universities, municipalities and others, to
use in their own climate risk analysis.
To read more about AT&T's efforts, click here.
i Scope 1 emissions include direct emissions
from sources owned or controlled by the company (such as the
fleet). Scope 2 emissions include indirect emissions that
result from the generation of purchased energy.
ii EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.
https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator
*About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a diversified, global leader in
telecommunications, media and entertainment, and technology.
WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that
creates and distributes premium and popular content to global
audiences through its consumer brands, including: HBO, HBO Max,
Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC Entertainment, New Line,
Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Turner Classic Movies. Xandr, now
part of WarnerMedia, provides marketers with innovative and
relevant advertising solutions for consumers around premium video
content and digital advertising through its platform. AT&T
Communications provides more than 100 million U.S. consumers with
entertainment and communications experiences across TV, mobile and
broadband. Plus, it serves high-speed, highly secure connectivity
and smart solutions to nearly 3 million business customers.
AT&T Latin America provides pay-TV services across 10 countries
and territories in Latin America
and the Caribbean and wireless
services to consumers and businesses in Mexico.
AT&T products and services are provided or offered by
subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T
brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information is available
at about.att.com. © 2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights
reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks
and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T
affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the
property of their respective owners.
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SOURCE AT&T Inc.