Telecommunications networks enable energy savings in a range of sectors and generate therefore significant positive externalities. In this context, the digital and the green transition go hand-in-hand. However, the energy consumption of telecommunications networks is also increasing, which makes it important to tackle as part of reducing their environmental footprint. An EU Code of Conduct for the sustainability of telecommunications networks The EU Code of Conduct (CoC) for the sustainability of telecommunications networks is a deliverable under the European Commission’s 2022 Digitalising the Energy System Action Plan and is referenced in the 2026 proposal for a Digital Networks Act (DNA). In line with the Action Plan and other EU policies, environmental sustainability of telecommunications networks should contribute to achieving the EU climate targets. Stakeholders can assess environmental sustainability during the design, manufacturing, deployment, operation, maintenance, audit and decommissioning phases. These assessments should follow the best practices based on standards, as set out in this EU CoC, with a particular focus on the operation phase.The EU CoC incorporates extensive stakeholder feedback, notably during two public workshops on 6 May and 12 November 2025, as well as written contributions and bilateral exchanges. While being a voluntary document, it could provide a useful reference point for the following initiatives (in addition to the DNA):EU Taxonomy for sustainable financeDigital DecadeStandardisation Timeline and process In the workshop, the time plan of the drafting of the CoC was proposed and it is shown below: April 2024First DraftingJuly 2024Draft version sent for commentsOctober 2024Processing of received commentsDecember 2024Internal revisionApril 2025New version sent for commentsMay 2025Workshop of the development of the EU Code of conduct of sustainable telecommunication networksSummer 2025Draft final version sent for commentsAutumn 2025Processing of feedback and final reviewNovember 2025Second Workshop of the development of the EU Code of conduct of sustainable telecommunication networksDecember 2025Submission of the EU Code if conduct for internal JRC approvalJanuary 2026Publication of the EU Code of conduct The interplay between the key elements of the EU CoC is shown below: © JRCText versionThe imagine represents the relationships among the indicators, best practices and standards to support the sustainability of electronic communication networks. Best Practices can be expected (mandatory) or optional (not needed for the compliance assessment but nice to implement). Identification of sustainability indicators As required under the 2022 Digitalising the Energy System Action Plan, the Commission focused in 2023 and 2024 on exploring the possibility to develop common indicators for measuring the environmental footprint of telecommunications networks as a basis for the EU CoC. There had already been a significant amount of work done in the definition of metrics and standards for environmental sustainability. Telecoms operators and vendors across Europe used indicators to measure and report their footprint. However, there was also fragmentation among the different standards and evaluation metrics used, leading to gaps for data collection and analysis.This is why the Action Plan foresaw that the EU should develop common indicators to enable the monitoring and benchmarking of the energy consumption and environmental footprint of telecommunications networks. It also called on the Commission to establish an EU Code of Conduct to promote best practices for reducing the environmental footprint of the sector.The work built on the activity of BEREC for electronic communication and services and the work done already by the JRC on Code of Conducts for Data Centres and Broadband Equipment. Publication of the report on the findings of the sustainability indicators study Identification of common indicators for measuring the environmental footprint of ECNs for the provision of ECSs The JRC Technical Report “Identification of common indicators for measuring the environmental footprint of electronic communications networks (ECNs) for the provision of electronic communications services (ECSs)” delivers on the Commission’s 2022 Digitalising the Energy System Action Plan (COM/2022/552 final) as regards common indicators for measuring the environmental footprint of electronic communications networks (ECNs) for the provision of electronic communications services (ECSs). It was made public on 12 March 2024 and is available at the following link:Identification of common indicators for measuring the environmental footprint of electronic communications networks (ECNs) for the provision of electronic communications services (ECSs)See the report The report reflects the following elements and provides:The main findings from an analysis of the related literature and the state of the art in telecommunications sustainability indicators and recommendations from governmental, industrial and academic domains.The results of an analysis of the current regulatory and standardisation framework for sustainability in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in general and telecommunication infrastructures in particular.The results from the survey conducted between 26 May and 23 June 2023 where stakeholders from all relevant telecommunication sectors (e.g., telecom operators, telecom vendors, auditors and so on) provided input for the prioritisation of the indicators, potential areas to improve and challenges to address to implement and effective monitoringThe findings from the stakeholder workshop conducted on 10 of October 2023 on sustainability indicators in telecommunication networks. More than 50 participants participated to the workshop with the objective to assess the preliminary findings from the JRC analysis and the results from the survey. In addition, participants shared their experience and the lessons learnt in implementing sustainability activities in telecommunication networksAmong the 19 indicators analysed, the report identified 8 indicators that could be considered as high priority for the sustainability of telecommunications networks and are therefore classified as “Must Have”, 6 indicators with medium priority and therefore classified as “Should Have” and 5 indicators with a low priority and therefore classified as “Nice to Have”.The identification and analysis of the main sustainability indicators was to prepare the ground for the 2026 EU CoC for the sustainability of telecommunications networks – a related task under the Digitalising the Energy System Action Plan.For questions and comments, please contact JRC-SUSTAINABILITYECNec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-SUSTAINABILITYECN[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) . Two important milestones were executed in 2023 as part of this project: Telecoms sustainability indicators workshopA stakeholder workshop in Brussels, Belgium on the 10th of October 2023.Survey on sustainability indicators for telecommunication networksAn EU survey conducted by DG JRC from 26 May to 23 June 2023 to collect feedback from stakeholders in the telecommunication sector.
Identification of common indicators for measuring the environmental footprint of ECNs for the provision of ECSs The JRC Technical Report “Identification of common indicators for measuring the environmental footprint of electronic communications networks (ECNs) for the provision of electronic communications services (ECSs)” delivers on the Commission’s 2022 Digitalising the Energy System Action Plan (COM/2022/552 final) as regards common indicators for measuring the environmental footprint of electronic communications networks (ECNs) for the provision of electronic communications services (ECSs). It was made public on 12 March 2024 and is available at the following link:Identification of common indicators for measuring the environmental footprint of electronic communications networks (ECNs) for the provision of electronic communications services (ECSs)See the report
Telecoms sustainability indicators workshopA stakeholder workshop in Brussels, Belgium on the 10th of October 2023.
Survey on sustainability indicators for telecommunication networksAn EU survey conducted by DG JRC from 26 May to 23 June 2023 to collect feedback from stakeholders in the telecommunication sector.
