As the world increasingly relies on digital technology, the role of digital companies in driving the global transition to a low-carbon economy has become increasingly important. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) have collaborated on a joint report titled "Greening Digital Companies: Monitoring Emissions and Climate Commitments 2024". This year's report, now in its third edition, offers an in-depth evaluation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy usage of 200 leading digital companies, focusing particularly on corporate value chain (Scope 3) emissions. These emissions, which encompass both upstream and downstream activities, represent the most significant portion of the carbon footprint for these companies. Despite the digital sector's commitment to environmental sustainability, GHG emissions and energy consumption have risen, with artificial intelligence further exacerbating the sector's environmental footprint.
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This is the third edition of the Greening Digital Companies report produced by the Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the
World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA). ITU has been given the mandate to develop a programme in response to the challenges of climate change and the growing quantities of e-waste globally. It is involved in climate change activities including research, capacity building and development of international standards. In the ITU strategic plan for 2024-2027, target 2.5 is significant improvement of ICTs’ contribution to climate and environment action, as measured by concrete indicators including the global e-waste recycling rate and the contribution of telecommunications/ICTs to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
WBA is a non-profit organization that assesses and ranks the performance of the world’s most influential companies on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Data in this report were collected as part of the WBA Digital Inclusion Benchmark, which assesses the world’s leading technology companies on their performance in enhancing access to digital technologies, improving digital skills, fostering trustworthy use, and innovating openly, inclusively and ethically. In addition, WBA produces the Climate and Energy Benchmark, which measures corporate progress against the Paris Agreement and covers 450 of the world’s most influential companies in high-emitting sectors such as the automotive, utilities, oil, gas and transport industries.
