IBM Vice President Marisa Viveros said that while fifth-generation cellular connectivity (5G) is known for delivering unprecedented wireless speeds to consumers, it also promises to help address a more critical challenge: driving sustainable growth.

So it's no surprise that the telecom industry is particularly concerned about going green: a recent study by the Institute for Business Value found more than 3,000 CEOs in more than 40 countries, including 120 telecom leaders respondents) found that more than half (56%) of telecom CEOs rank improving sustainability as their organization’s highest priority over the next two to three years.

By upgrading equipment and leveraging the latest networking standards and helping ecosystem partners take the lead in implementing environmentally friendly strategies, telcos will not only achieve increased revenue, but will also benefit from mitigating climate change-related risks, delivering on their ESG strategies and in the process play a key role in improving the human condition.

Achieve goals

In 2015, the United Nations released the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which set out 17 goals to address the most pressing social and environmental issues facing the global population. The goals cover a wide range of ambitious goals, from tackling climate change and protecting natural resources to ending hunger and poverty. 

The telecommunications industry is well-positioned to contribute meaningfully to many of the Sustainable Development Goals, and 5G will play a key role in the achievement of these goals. Below, we'll highlight how the next generation of connectivity standards can help achieve UN guidelines for a more sustainable and equitable future. 

combat climate change

Perhaps the most critical of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals involves reducing global climate change and its impacts. 5G and its related applications could reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2025, according to a report commissioned by the wireless industry association CTIA by Accenture. Even before taking into account the carbon-reduction benefits that 5G connectivity will bring to partners in fields ranging from transportation to agriculture, the new standard itself is more environmentally friendly.

The 2020 5G Energy Efficiency Study by Nokia and Telefonica found that 5G networks are 90% more efficient per unit of flow (W/Mbps) than 4G networks. Further developments at the base station level are improving this inherent efficiency, such as new energy-efficient software that reduces the energy use of radio equipment and liquid cooling technology that can reduce CO2 emissions by 80%​. Overall, the rapid rollout of 5G could enable global mobile networks to A 500 million metric ton reduction in CO2 emissions over a decade of operations—equivalent to more than a year's worth of greenhouse gas emissions from all global aviation. 

The most significant benefit, however, lies in what 5G will bring. Its energy efficiency, low latency and high fidelity promise to unleash the full potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) and expand the reach of artificial intelligence (AI) that will transform countless industries - making better use of energy and natural resources, reducing waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

In transportation, for example, 5G is driving a revolution in vehicle communications, navigation and autonomous driving, as well as in logistics such as truck load optimization and fleet management. About 20% of urban traffic flow is caused by people looking for parking spaces. By helping drivers find available parking spaces, we can reduce congestion and unnecessary emissions. Japan's leading mobile phone operators, telecommunications companies NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone have each introduced smart parking services to help solve this problem.

Other key industries where 5G is already having an impact include manufacturing and smart buildings, which are supported by 5G private networks, IoT-based automation and smart HVAC systems, reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. 

Overall, the use of 5G networks in a variety of use cases is expected to reduce 330.8 million metric tons of CO2e across five industries by 2025. That level of improvement would account for 20 percent of the U.S. emissions reduction target over this period, or the equivalent of 71.9 million vehicles a year.

improve life

The latest cellular technology can do more than just help save the environment. It has proven critical to improving the living standards of people around the world, especially those in traditionally underserved areas. 

The second UN Sustainable Development Goal is related to ending hunger, and 5G and related technologies are already addressing this issue. Food waste is a major problem: it is estimated that only 14% of food produced reaches consumers. With IoT sensors connected via 5G networks, farmers can closely monitor a number of factors such as humidity, temperature, soil moisture, and crop health, and deploy automated irrigation systems to maximize crop yields. Autonomous machines, including tractors, ground robots and imaging drones, are also playing an increasingly important role in making food production more efficient.

In addition to "agri-tech", 5G will also improve the efficiency of food distribution, from intelligent transportation and logistics to connected retail systems, which can further help ensure that agricultural waste is reduced. 

The ninth SDG involves building resilient infrastructure, promoting industrialisation and fostering innovation – three goals that telecom providers are working towards. In the United States, for example, tens of billions of dollars have been earmarked for telecom providers to bring broadband infrastructure to rural and underserved areas, reducing investment barriers to bringing long-awaited high-speed connectivity to these populations. These include the FCC's Rural America 5G Fund, which helps bring broadband access to new markets.  

Providing these populations with 5G connectivity opens up new opportunities for them in education, work and business. With stronger overall communications technology, telecom operators ​​have reported direct increases in the gross national product of the regions in which they operate – boosting financial prosperity and achieving the first goal of the Sustainable Development Goals: eradicating poverty. progress. 

Take action

To ensure the best possible outcomes for 5G in terms of sustainability, it is critical that telecom providers act quickly. The study details how rapid deployment, which will shift 99% of mobile traffic to 5G in advanced economies by 2030, will drive a two-fold reduction in carbon emissions from cellular-only networks compared to slow deployment.

In short, an accelerated transition to 5G is necessary to prevent escalating network energy demands due to increased data traffic, and to address pressing global issues uniquely addressed by the latest cellular connectivity standards.