Environmental management
Telenor is committed to protecting the environment and minimising our environmental impact. We do this by undertaking initiatives promoting greater environmental responsibility and supporting business initiatives for the development of eco-efficient solutions.
This is clearly stated in our environmental policy, as part of the sustainability policy. To ensure continuous improvements of the local environmental performance, a management review shall be conducted at least once a year. Business units are recommended to certify their EMS according to ISO 14001.
All of Telenor’s business units, with the exception of DNA Finland, have implemented Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in line with ISO 14001; and all were followed up in 2020. In the case of DNA Finland, the implementation of its Environmental Management System has been initiated.
The growing demand for ICT products and mobile devices, and their increasingly short lifespans, has resulted in e-waste becoming a significant concern and risk for the ICT industry. In this regard, all Telenor business units are mandated to implement sustainable waste management processes. All electronic waste is to be reused or recycled according to internationally recognised standards and regulations.
Mobile handset recycling initiatives have been ongoing for several years in our business units. Telenor has collected and recycled more than 2.5 million handsets and mobile batteries. In 2020, a total of approximately 135,000 mobile handsets and mobile batteries were collected and recycled across Telenor. During 2020 our business units reported a total of 3,183 tonnes of obsolete electrical and electronic equipment waste (e-waste) that has been removed from active operations, 99 per cent of this e-waste has been resold or recycled in an environmentally sound manner.