20 Globe offices shift to renewable energy

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. has completed the shift of 20 of its facilities to renewable power as the telco steps up its sustainability efforts to curb its carbon emissions.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Globe said it has upgraded 20 facilities to renewable energy (RE) through ACEN Renewable Energy Solutions (ACEN RES).

On top of this, Globe said it is in the process of migrating three more as part of the strategy to depend on sustainable power in the long run.

The facilities now running on renewable power include the Globe Tower, the telco’s headquarters in Bonifacio Global City. Globe vowed it would keep on exploring RE options for its sites, acknowledging the volume of energy required to run telco assets.

Globe intends to lean on its partnership with ACEN Corp. in migrating to renewable energy. The telco trusts that its sister company within the Ayala Group would help it achieve its sustainability goals in line with the net zero push.

By transitioning to renewable sources, Globe expects to cut its carbon footprint by 42,000 metric tons when compared to its 2023 baseline.

Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu said as much as the telco is determined to develop new solutions, it wants to do this at the least environmental impact.

In 2021, the Ayala Group declared its commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, aligned with the ultimate goal of the Paris Agreement.

Under this, Ayala’s core ventures initiated environmental interventions to reduce their respective carbon wastes. Globe has pledged to procure sustainable energy directly from renewable sources for its headquarters and offices around the Philippines.

In an analysis done by McKinsey & Co., telcos have seen energy costs outpace their sales growth by half in recent years. Further, the issue has become more worrying during the pandemic, when consumers pumped up their data consumption as the lockdown kept everyone at home.

To date, McKinsey & Co. estimates that 75 percent of telco energy consumption can be traced to broadband and mobile consumption.

In response, telcos are expanding their use of RE to reduce power costs and carbon emissions.