Raising network subscribers’ awareness of energy consumption
_{A new way for CSPs to tackle Scope 3 emissions}

Device connectivity accounts for a significant share of mobile communications networks’ total energy consumption. Every video stream, file download, or cloud sync requires energy to manage the electromagnetic waves that carry data to and from your phone.

Total mobile data transfer globally is 16.10 terawatt-hours (TWh) per month^[1], 60% of the UK’s annual electricity usage (or all of South Africa). That energy contributes notably to communication service provider’s (CSP’s) Scope 3 emissions – the indirect emissions occurring across the value chain.

_{^[1]Calculated based on mobile phone average of 0.13 kWh to transfer 1 GB of data across a mobile network (GSMA), and global total data transfer is 123.84 Exabytes per month (Ericsson)}

Scope 3 emissions, which can account for 80% of some telco’s carbon footprints, pose the biggest challenge in the move to net zero. This is due not only to their magnitude, but also the fact that they are the hardest to measure and not fully within telcos’ control. Mobile users contribute a significant portion of these Scope 3 emissions.

As CSPs set ambitious net-zero targets, scope 3 emissions, which can be over half of a company’s carbon burden, are now in sharp focus.

Simple changes by mobile users – such as doing data heavy tasks over energy efficient wifi, or avoiding unnecessary activities such as updating apps they don’t use – could significantly cut the energy use of mobile networks.

And this presents a challenge: how do you reduce what you don’t directly control? The answer lies in finding ways to influence user behavior without compromising their quality of experience.

The solution: Tools to inform, and change behavior

On-device applications and tools can inform, nudge, and empower users to reduce their energy and data footprints. These tools can analyze user behaviors, provide information on their CO₂ impact, and offer personalized recommendations to cut their carbon footprint – such as using Wi-Fi instead of mobile data during peak hours or opting for lower-resolution streaming when on the go.

Such behavior shifts may seem small individually, but at scale they translate into significant reductions in downstream network load and energy usage, making a measurable dent in Scope 3 emissions.

Apps to incentivize subscribers to make these types of decisions can decrease the energy used by/on the network. Some may be happy to do this to reduce their carbon footprint and just need the information to do it via an app. Others may respond to incentives such as earning credits against their mobile bill, or gamification such as competing with friends to get the lowest monthly carbon emissions score.

Such apps also capture lots of granular data on user behavior, which gives mobile networks and equipment providers a comprehensive view of the environmental impact of each subscriber at an individual level, replacing the estimates currently used. Given enough time, data on the activity of millions of devices accessing the network can be coordinated. Each user can be sent subtle signals to nudge their behavior in ways that collectively benefit the whole network – similar to the approaches the energy industry is taking smart meters and lower cost overnight tariffs.

The good news is that have already done this. In collaboration with Nokia and Google, we have developed a minimum viable product (MVP) which we call ‘Energy Efficiency for Scope 3 Indirect Emissions’. Put simply, it’s an on-device app designed to raise awareness about energy consumption among network subscribers. The app could soon be helping Nokia’s customers, and the expertise we have developed could help others develop similar solutions.

Shaping mobile user behavior for energy efficiency: Lessons learned

In developing the MVP, we overcame various challenges. In addition to the many technical and data management challenges of integrating and scaling any new capability into the complicated architectures of mobile networks, three challenges specific to this issue are worth mentioning.

The importance of scoring

We quickly identified that a key feature of any behavioral tool was a scoring system. Indeed, scoring is a proven gamification strategy that encourages participates to tap into their natural desires for competition and achievement. 

Our system assesses subscribers based on their energy demand from the network – and hence carbon footprint – and gives them a ‘score’. This serves as a tangible metric that subscribers can understand, making the abstract concept of energy consumption more concrete, and providing a benchmark to improve upon.

Beyond scoring their impact, we also needed practical ways to get them to act to reduce that score, like actionable insights and recommendations for reducing energy consumption.

User trust

Convincing subscribers to trust, install and use this app is also a necessity. Building trust starts with transparency – users must understand what data is collected, how it’s used, and how it benefits them. That meant careful UX design for ease of use (unsurprisingly, poor user experience can significantly damage trust) – along with a rigorous approach to security, end-to-end encryption, compliance with regional data protection laws, and openness about the use of data.

Delivering actionable insights

Armed with detailed data on user behavior, the network can start to spot subtle patterns and nudge users at scale. This was the trickiest part, requiring us to deploy smart people to develop complex AI and mathematical models – similar to those used by electricity grids to nudge users into more energy efficient behaviors. The result is insights and automated systems that help individual subscribers (as well as CSPs) to take targeted action toward reducing emissions.

Not just a capability, but a catalyst for change

Few mobile users are aware of the impact of their mobile devices. By making them more aware of their individual impact, and empowering them to take action, we can encourage proactive energy saving behavior. This collective responsibility is essential for CSPs (and, ultimately everyone) to achieve net-zero goals.

The good news is that we are well on the way to achieving this. Indeed, Google showcased the tool at their booth at Mobile World Congress 2025. And, in doing so, we have acquired a great deal of expertise that can be deployed for other mobile network scope 3 reduction initiatives. As we move towards a net-zero world, initiatives like this will be essential in shaping our collective efforts to combat climate change.

Contact us to learn more about our MVP – and more broadly about how Scope 3 emissions can be reduced in mobile networks.