O2 gives suppliers offer to purchase renewables at reduced rates

Telecommunications giant O2 will extend a reduced rate that is using to purchase renewable energy to power its operations to suppliers in a bid progress against its recently announced net-zero emissions target.


O2 gives suppliers offer to purchase renewables at reduced rates

O2 has been certified to the highest possible level of supply chain management to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by Carbon Trust

The new offering will allow O2 suppliers and partners to purchases renewable energy directly from SSE Business Energy at the same reduced rate as the telecoms company.

O2 first committed to powering its facilities with renewables in 2008. O2 already uses SSE’s 100% renewable electricity across all sites where it controls the energy bill.

“At O2, we’re proud to be a responsible business – and part of this means upholding the highest environmental standards in our own supply chain,” O2’s head of partnerships and social impact Tracey Herald said.

“This latest project with SSE Business Energy is the perfect example of working together for good: using O2’s purchasing power to give UK suppliers and partners the option to access preferential renewable electricity rates, while reducing their own carbon footprint.”

Earlier this month, O2 pledged to achieve net-zero across its entire business and mobile network by 2025 – a move it claims will make it the UK’s first net-zero mobile network provider.

O2’s largest source of Scope 3 emissions is through its upstream supply chain. As such, O2 has set a commitment to cut supply chain emissions by 30% by 2025. In order to achieve this reduction, the firm has said it will work to implement more ambitious targets for individual suppliers and create incentives that encourage suppliers to decarbonise their own operations.

O2 has notably already been certified to the highest possible level of supply chain management to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by Carbon Trust. Its largest suppliers are already contractually obliged to meet time-bound, numerical carbon reduction targets.

For suppliers and partners that do take up the reduced rate, SSE Green Electricity is generated by wind and hydro assets. It is certified by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) and independently verified by EcoAct, a Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) accredited provider.

SSE’s chief sustainability officer Rachel McEwen added: “As a large renewable developer, SSE can provide the zero-carbon energy that the rest of the economy needs, and we’re delighted to be working with O2 to offer SSE Green to their suppliers. From our perspective, O2 is one of the best examples of a customer demanding not only climate action but also improved sustainability credentials across their supply chain, and the promotion of SSE Green at a reduced rate will further strengthen the positive influence they can have on their suppliers.”

Last year, SSE unveiled a sustainability strategy for 2030 aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that will deliver a 50% cut in carbon intensity, trebling its renewable electricity output and facilitating the uptake of 10 million electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK.

Matt Mace

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