Open Fiber he approved his Net Zero Plan: a plan that defines the company's path towards the “net zero emissions” goal by 2040, 10 years ahead of the 2050 deadline set by the United Nations, and identifies the direct and indirect impacts of company activities and the measures to reduce its climate footprint.
“Acting concretely to combat climate change is a moral obligation towards future generations. Open Fiber, with its fiber optic network, significantly contributes to the reduction of emissions due to data traffic – he commented Paul Ciocca, president of Open Fiber -. The digital transition is a key element to accompany the energy transition. Thanks to the Net Zero Plan, Open Fiber will be able to eliminate its emissions by 2040."
The role of optical fiber for decarbonisation
La optical fiber, explains a note, plays a fundamental role in achieving the climate objectives set by the Paris Agreement: it requires more than 60% less energy than traditional copper networks, with a saving of around 560 GWh/year, and it is a "future proof" technology that promotes the development of innovative solutions with reduced emissions, as in the case of smart cities and smart grids.
Open Fiber's Net Zero plan
With the approval of the plan, the note continues, the company undertakes not only to reduce costs gas emissions greenhouse up to theirs reset, but also to set reduction objectives in line with limiting global warming to within 1,5° C, the maximum level of ambition among those recognized by Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi). The reduction objectives are not limited to emissions under the direct control of the organization (the so-called direct Scope 1 and indirect Scope 2 emissions), but also include those relating to the value chain, i.e. the supply chain (the so-called Scope 3 emissions). Among the actions of decarbonization, the plan includes the projects envisaged in the Energy Plan developed within the energy management system certified in 2023 according to the international standard ISO 50001.
The Open Fiber plan also includes reduction actions and the implementation of a specific mitigation strategy "beyond the value chain" (so-called Beyond Value Chain Mitigation), financing climate action through offsetting projects aimed at balancing the residual emissions that are still active.