T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T are still dealing with each other—but now a new kind of challenge is emerging, and it’s not about network speeds or subscriber counts. It’s about how quickly they’re cutting greenhouse gas emissions. A fresh Mobile Net Zero report highlights a promising drop in emissions—but warns that the pace isn’t fast enough to meet 2050 climate goals.
PhoneArena explains that between 2019 and 2023, mobile providers managed to reduce their carbon footprint from operating networks by around 8%, even while handling 9% more connections and a four‑fold increase in data use. That’s great news—but the GSMA points out it's just the beginning. To reach net‑zero by 2050, annual drops of about 7.5% are required—and the industry isn't close to that pace yet .
Another encouraging change: renewable electricity use among major carriers—those three included—jumped from 13% in 2019 to 37% in 2023. And regionally, most carriers slashed emissions significantly: Europe by 56%, North America by 44%, and Latin America by 36%. Compare that to Greater China, which struggled until early 2024, when emissions suddenly fell about 4%—a shift that could drive global change, considering China’s massive user base.
That still leaves big questions about another emissions category: carbon linked to the manufacturing and shipping of phones, known as Scope 3. This part makes up over two‑thirds of the total environmental footprint for these companies—and tracking it remains tricky. The publication notes it's one thing to count the emissions from running cell sites and offices; it's another to follow every smartphone’s journey from factory to pocket.
Consumers are responding, too. Nearly 90% say they care about repairability and longer-lasting devices, and about half say they’d consider buying a refurbished phone. It was also pointed out that used phones can create up to 90% fewer emissions—and the second‑hand phone market is projected to balloon to $150 billion by 2027.
PhoneArena led its story with the simple truth: the big wireless names aren't just talking green—they're acting green. But real pressure’s on: to go from modest progress to full-scale change, they’ll need to hit annual cuts that are twice as fast. As the GSMA report reminds us, the next few years will be crucial—not just for network rollouts or subscriber numbers, but toward genuinely sustainable operations.
Source: PhoneArena
