Six Sustainable Development Goals for ORANGE

The climatic, environmental, social and societal challenges of our century require a profound transformation of our economy. In September 2020, this insight is widely shared and the need to act is becoming increasingly pressing.

The telecom industry and more broadly digital technology is one of the powerful means of this transformation, which is now being shaken by the pandemic crisis. New challenges and new opportunities are ahead of us. It is by associating its values with its history and by embracing the new challenges our society is facing, that Orange has formulated its raison d'être in 2019, with the aim of answering a fundamental question: what is Orange's purpose in society? In this same dynamic, our 5-year strategic plan Engage2025 embodies our concrete commitment to maintain exemplary social and environmental standards. This commitment has never been more meaningful than it is today: the health crisis has reinforced the need and our collective will to reduce inequalities and to address the climate emergency.

Since 2015, 193 States have collectively agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. The entire mobile industry has a significant impact on the achievement of the SDGs - this impact is annually assessed in the report published by the GSMA, the worldwide association of operators that I have the honor of chairing.

As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of these SDGs and with 10 years left to find and implement responses to the climate emergency, Orange has decided to fully engage, at its level, in this global commitment to eradicate poverty and protect the planet, while ensuring a fair and responsible transition. Following an evaluation of our contribution in consultation with representatives of the various Orange Group entities, we have identified 6 SDGs on which we can have a major impact. They reflect Orange's purpose, its core business and its strategic commitments.

Technology, a vector for inclusive growth and the fight against global warming

Telecommunication and digital technologies are tremendous providers of solutions in the overall reduction of environmental impact. I am convinced that by adopting the path of “energy sobriety” and sustainability, they have a huge potential to benefit other key sectors such as transport, logistics, building, energy, that new generations of networks and AI will increase. The latest "Enablement Effect" report already indicates a ratio of 1/10 of the mobile industry's contribution to GHG reduction.

Because we maintain and will maintain a high level of ambition on the reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions, we will make digital a real sector of sustainable economic and technological development. Orange is committed to being net zero carbon by 2040, 10 years ahead of the commitments made by the industry through the GSMA.

This resolution begins with a focus on reducing our own environmental footprint (SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production and SDG 13 - Climate Action). This requires us to make an unprecedented effort in terms of energy efficiency, and by 2025 we aim to reduce our CO2 emissions by 30% compared to 2015. In addition, by 2025, the Group will use at least 50% electricity from renewable sources. Finally, we must develop the circular economy. In 2025, we are committed to ensuring that 100% of our products under the Orange brand are eco-designed;

Our high-performance networks, supported by the already advanced infrastructure of fiber and submarine cabling, feed more than just technical and technological ambitions. These networks are the ones that enable and will enable access to many essential services, to work, to health, education, financial services and entertainment, as well as family and friends, anywhere in the world. This is why, at Orange, we develop telecommunications networks and invest in research to offer connectivity and innovative services (SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).

Access to the Internet and digital services is a way to offer essential services to everyone, even when other infrastructures are lacking. The massive containment during the pandemic has shown us in real life how connectivity has enabled family, social and economic ties to be maintained. Networks have the potential to significantly reduce inequalities. However, infrastructure development is not enough. 4 billion people are still not connected to the Internet today while 3.3 billion of them are covered by 3G+ networks.

Connectivity is a component of a broader approach to inclusion and inequality reduction (SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities). Orange and the Orange Foundation are working tirelessly on this issue in a wide range of actions: from individual support to fight against digital divide to the development of offers adapted to the needs of populations in different countries, most recently with the launch of Orange Bank in Africa. Our policy in favor of professional equality and equal opportunities reinforces our actions for digital equality.

At the forefront of the major innovations to come, the deployment of 5G is also designed to reduce the overall energy consumption of data traffic, which we know is constantly increasing. Its antennas will be able to go into standby mode, and its low latency will enable thousands of everyday objects of tomorrow to be connected in a stable and fluid way, as in the service of health, security, or even the prediction of climatic and natural phenomena. The increase in traffic induced by new digital habits and the addition of new infrastructure to existing networks must be taken into account, combined with this energy performance. This is the whole equation that we are going to solve in order to meet our commitment to be net zero carbon in 2040. We will do this in line with our Green ITN plan, which has been in place for 10 years at Orange to reduce our environmental footprint.

New uses and sustainable and responsible consumption

We are fully aware of this: new generations of networks, which are more efficient, will generate the consumption of new devices. We also know that one of the main impacts of digital technology on the environment today is due to the lifecycle of this electronic equipment - both in terms of production and end-of-life management. It is in this sense that Orange is particularly committed to raising awareness among its customers about giving a second life to equipment and recycling broken or unused mobiles. It is possible to considerably reduce the environmental impact of these objects by integrating them into a circular economy approach (SDG 12 - Responsible consumption and production). Our old devices, whether functional or not, are resources: for the reconditioning market on the one hand, for the recycling of materials on the other, which saves the natural resources needed for their manufacture.

Our role as a responsible company goes, however, far beyond material issues. We know that digital innovation, like any innovation, can create both new possibilities and vulnerabilities. It is an ongoing commitment to ensure that at every step, for every new use, for every progress made, we develop solutions to ensure that they are positive: protecting everyone's data, ensuring the security of systems, and developing responsible and inclusive AI. This is the guarantee that we can help human societies to progress with confidence in these new technologies, and ensure that everyone can embraced them, without discrimination. Above all, our industry must be accountable for ethical and responsible business practices and ensure that technologies are at the service of more peace and justice (SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Finally, we cannot achieve these objectives alone (SDG 17 - Partnerships for the goals). We need our partners, especially all SMEs and start-ups, who contribute to the richness and dynamism of the digital ecosystem in France and internationally. Our support for entrepreneurship, particularly through Orange Ventures, is particularly important at this special time, as is the commitment of our employees to support the non-profit sector.

We are all aware of the need to build a better model. I personally believe in its co-construction and I am proud to lead a group in which this approach is widely shared. We are convinced that, on this path, it is when we are partners, at all levels - within the company, within a sector, within the international community - that we truly build a dynamic allowing a system of positive and sustainable value creation. It is in this way, in this same spirit, that last year we wanted to give ourselves a raison d'être. By co-creating it, we gave it concrete expression to the commitment of each and every one of us - and to our collective project at Orange: to be a trusted partner that gives everyone the keys to a responsible digital world.