Published last week, the report showed that the company reduced total water consumption to 2,425,907 m3 in 2012, from 3,825,222 in 2011.

However, edie discovered that a total water consumption figure for its operations in Egypt was missing from the report.

Orange explained that the figure, Egypt’s water consumption amounting to 1,697,429 m3 for the year, was mistakenly left off the report because “the cut off line for reporting was such that the information hadn’t been recorded properly on time”.

Orange Group CSR reporting manager Philippe Le Therisien, told edie that the rush to finalise the report was the reason behind the mistake.

The new figure brings the overall Group water consumption to 4,123,336 m3, which represents an increase of 7.8%, from 2011. Le Therisien said that an erratum will be produced to rectify the water consumption mistake.

Le Therisien has said that the company will be “more cautious this year and the years to come” when reporting.

In addition to the rise in water consumption, the company recorded an 11% increase in Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions, a result of growth in data traffic. However, Orange says the Group’s energy efficiency action plans have limited the increase. “Without these plans, emissions would have increased by at least 12% in 2012,” the company states.

“However, the full benefits of these plans will be visible only in the long term. Due to the amount of time needed to renew network equipment and roll out new technology, the action plans’ full effects will not be seen for another seven or eight years,” it added.

The increase in the Group’s CO2 emissions between 2011 and 2012 reflect factors like variations in the CO2 emission coefficients for electricity and higher fuel oil consumption in African countries as a result of political events such as a lack of electrical power.

Leigh Stringer

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