Our impacts

O2’s business is to provide mobile communications services.

Our operations are less harmful to the environment than those, for example, of manufacturing or mining, but we recognise that we do have an impact: in our energy and water consumption, our waste disposal and emissions, through our supply chain and network technology, and in the visual impact of what we do.

Our environmental management system has identified the following key environmental issues facing O2. More detailed information about these impact areas, the environmental data we collect and our targets for improvement are published in our annual Corporate Responsibility Report.

Energy and CO2

We aim to balance our growth as a business with initiatives to reduce our energy consumption, buy more electricity from renewable sources where possible, or, lastly, offset our carbon emissions.

• Energy performance management
  Good energy management is at the heart of sustainable development. We are continuing to develop programmes that will cut energy consumption and emissions over time. We have aligned our objectives with the European Commission Environment Action Programme, which seeks to tackle climate change, protect nature and wildlife and to preserve natural resources.
  
• Renewable energy
  The proportion of renewable energy that we use increases every year. We continue to explore opportunities for further alternative energy solutions and have signed new renewable energy agreements in the UK, Germany and Ireland.
  
  Find out more about renewable energy.
  
• Emissions
  We have a developing plan to reduce our CO2 emissions in line with the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse-gas emissions and the UK government's commitment on global warming. This includes reducing refrigerants in air conditioning and ensuring our diesel tanks are all secondary protected against leakage or spills.
  
• Ozone-depleting gases
  We use refrigerant gases in our air conditioning and the quantities have increased with the roll-out of our new networks. However, we have a programme to move from ozone-depleting HCFC gases to HFC gases that have no ozone-depleting potential.
  
  Read more about ozone-depleting gases.
  
• Transport
  Reducing carbon emissions is a real challenge but we have developed climate mitigation strategies that include decreasing business mileage and encouraging the use of technology rather than travel.
  
  Read more about transport.

Find out more on Energy and CO2.

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Waste

We have established a comprehensive recycling system throughout our major buildings, including paper, cans and plastic/paper cups. We are making good progress and we have begun to look at how some of our contractors handle waste.

• Packaging and IT
  We constantly aim to identify other waste streams such as the packaging of our products and computer waste from our offices. We have successfully reduced the packaging involved in the delivery and installation of our network equipment by working closely with a network equipment vendor. We are also working with a new partner to find solutions for IT recycling in offices, which includes a total solution for recycling cathode-ray tubes from computer screens and the installation of refurbished equipment for schools in developing countries.
  
• Network equipment
  We aim to make sure that equipment used in our networks is designated for re-use or upgrade and do not expect a lot of waste to arise from our network building. Redundant network equipment is processed for re-use and recycled through our environmentally accredited partners.

Find out more on waste.

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Mobile phone recycling

O2 operate a mobile handset recycling scheme with Fonebak®, ensuring that customers, employees and the public can safely dispose of redundant handsets for recycling or re-use. We run schemes through O2 shops, in our offices, by post or via the internet.

We also partner with Shields who run a World Recycling Support Programme through which it markets refurbished phones. These initiatives provide a solution for end-of-life Fonebak® phones and new phones sold by manufacturers. Shields’ services include audits of our own suppliers and recycling management, with formal targets and verified public reporting. It also handles any waste from our network-building activities, although at O2 our equipment is generally upgradeable.

Find out more on mobile phone recycling.

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Water

We have an ongoing programme of increasing water efficiency.

Find out more on water.

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