Telefónica & Huawei: EU Tech Consortium to Tackle 6G ESG

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The project is aiming to make digital device use more sustainable (Image: Project EXIGENCE)
Ten organisations have come together to launch an initiative to reduce telecom carbon footprint by tackling the overall environmental impact of 6G

EU-funded tech consortium EXIGENCE aims to tackle the escalating environmental toll of digital devices.

Businesses need to embed sustainability within digital transformation agendas to stay competitive while meeting sustainable objectives.

This collective of 10 organisations includes telecommunications giants Telefónica and Huawei, focusing on reducing the telecommunication systems' overall carbon footprint.

Spanning seven EU nations, EXIGENCE involves partners from the telecom sector, academic research and digital transformation, striving to lessen the environmental impacts of impending 6G mobile systems.

“Our commitment to driving sustainability standardization with 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) is anchored in advancing service-level energy consumption measurements, inter-domain eco-data exchange and green optimisation,” says Artur Hecker, Director of Future Network Technologies at Huawei.

Artur Hecker, Director of Future Network Technologies at Huawei (Image: IEEE)

Addressing the challenge of digitalisation and sustainability

As the global community moves towards 6G, our relationship with telecommunication technologies is significantly transforming.

The surge in digitalisation results in an increase in e-waste, one of the fastest-growing environmental hazards today.

Old devices, often discarded for newer models, can leach harmful chemicals, affecting both soil and water quality.

There's also an alarming rise in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions linked to these technologies.

Publicly unveiled in January 2025, the three-pillar EXIGENCE project will aim to complete the following:
  • Measure energy consumption
  • Optimise service provision
  • Incentivise behavioural changes among IT users

By working with the mobile ecosystem, including two of the world’s largest manufacturers of digital devices, EXIGENCE promises to provide an integrated platform for mobile systems to unveil green insights. 

The consortium’s strategies also include exploring methods to manage mobile technology use more sustainably and underlining the crucial role that sustainable practices have in achieving the European Green Deal's objective—which is set to make the EU climate neutral by 2050.

Artur adds: “Even though domain-specific optimisation and control will continue playing an important role in meeting energy and CO2 reduction targets, what sets the EXIGENCE project apart is the active role that service consumers play in carbon footprint minimisation. 

“We are proud to be part of this novel, collaborative approach towards ICT sustainability, which we are certain will have a profound impact on the industry.”

Advancing 6G with environmental consciousness

The advancement of artificial intelligence and enhanced connectivity is ramping up data integration into everyday life.

In 2024, connected devices are anticipated to consume an astounding 500 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy.

Data centres, vital for processing this data, are expected to match this consumption, with their energy use equating to Japan’s annual energy expenditure.

This significant energy requirement requires business leaders to revisit and rigorously pursue their sustainability commitments.

Ester Asin, Director of WWF European Policy Office

Speaking on Europe’s need to be more environmentally conscious, Ester Asin, Director of WFF European Policy Office explained: “Europe can achieve its climate and nature goals, but only if we make sure existing laws are implemented efficiently and effectively. Simplifying regulations carelessly risks throwing away decades of progress.”

Organising the EXIGENCE project is F6S, a global innovation network connecting over five million founders to funding opportunities exceeding US$1bn annually.

Sean Kane, Co-Founder and Chair of F6S explains: “Despite the growth in renewable technology, the rapid increase in energy required to feed connected devices will produce ever greater amounts of greenhouse gases for the foreseeable future. 

“That’s why F6S is proud to partner with leading entities in this space to introduce actionable sustainable practices.”


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