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Orange and Nokia have signed a joint commitment to increase the use of refurbished network equipment in telecom infrastructure. The partnership is aimed at generating a reduction in carbon emissions by refurbishing existing equipment rather than manufacturing new. Nokia will offer the refurbished equipment to all of Orange’s subsidiaries via BuyIn (Orange and Deutsche Telekom’s procurement alliance).
In the short-term, the agreement covers radio-based (RAN) equipment but there are mid and long-term plans to include other network equipment in the future.
The agreement is part of Orange’s wider programme, called OSCAR, which aims to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040. The OSCAR programme has set clear targets to limit use of new materials and promote the reuse of equipment as part of Orange’s vision for a circular economy.
Nokia has also set similar targets to cut emissions across its value chain by 50% between 2019 and 2030.
Ramon Fernandez, Delegate CEO and Executive Director Finance, Performance and Development said, “"We are proud to share our common vision of the circular economy with Nokia, a vision where environmental exemplarity supports sustainable value creation. This mutual understanding leads today to this first major contractual step forward for the Orange Group and its subsidiaries, with a positive environmental impact for our two groups.”
Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia added, ““Committing to circularity takes us another step closer to achieving our own climate goals, as well as supporting our customers in achieving theirs. Digitalization reduces waste, reuse extends product life, and through this we are able to realize the full value of our products. This framework agreement demonstrates the importance of collaboration in resolving the big challenges society faces and we all need to act together.”
The topic of sustainability features at this year’s Total Telecom Congress with a session on "Building the sustainable telco". Interested to hear more? Head to the event website and book your ticket.
