A collaborative whitepaper with Digital Connectivity Forum

As the UK telecoms sector intensifies its journey toward Net Zero and with 6G on the horizon, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as both a transformative enabler and a sustainability challenge. This white paper explores the dual role of AI, its potential to drive environmental progress for the sector and the imperative to manage its own resource footprint.

Climate change presents urgent risks to telecoms infrastructure, from extreme weather to supply chain disruptions. At the same time, it catalyses innovation, prompting telecoms organisations to rethink their operations and invest in sustainable technologies.

AI is increasingly central to this transformation, offering opportunities to optimise energy use, reduce emissions, and enhance climate resilience, but failure to act now presents material risks (operational, regulatory, reputational, and financial), making sustainable AI adoption both imminent and essential.

This whitepaper outlines key AI-driven sustainability use cases across six domains:

  1. Energy Optimisation: AI solutions like network load balancing and predictive cooling reduce energy consumption in towers and data centres.
  2. Customer Carbon Reporting: AI models estimate Scope 3 emissions and help customers understand and reduce their impact.
  3. Upskilling for Sustainability Literacy: AI-powered tools personalise sustainability education and promote behavioural change.
  4. Scope 3 & Supply Chain: AI enhances supplier profiling, lifecycle emissions analysis, and procurement efficiency.
  5. Sustainability Decision-Making: AI supports infrastructure planning and operational efficiency, reducing emissions and resource use.
  6. Climate Resilience & Adaptation: AI enables predictive modelling and real-time climate and weather monitoring to anticipate and mitigate risks.

This paper, co-authored by Capgemini and DCF, calls for bold action, strategic investment, and telecoms sector-wide ambition through AI. By embracing AI responsibly, telecoms companies can not only meet regulatory and stakeholder expectations but also shape a resilient, low-carbon digital future.