Net Zero

Our journey to net zero

In 2023, the SBTi approved our long-term net zero targets in accordance with the SBTi Net Zero Standard.

Our decarbonisation strategy focuses on improving energy efficiency, investing in renewable energy through renewable power certificates, and transforming supply chain practices as we continue to reduce our environmental impact and decrease our GHG emissions.

Our enhanced Decarbonisation Roadmap now incorporates Lumen EMEA into our Science-Based Targets. We partnered with Carbon Trust to define a clear path to our 2045 Net Zero ambition and identified six strategic decarbonisation levers, which are initiatives to cut emissions across our operations and value chain. We also completed a high-level financial analysis to understand the cost-effectiveness of these levers and guide the prioritisation of resources.

Following the GHG Protocol best practices and Colt Group’s rebaseline policy, we performed a comprehensive exercise to accurately account for our expanded operational footprint due to the acquisition of Lumen EMEA. In 2025, we have engaged with the SBTi to communicate the increase in our emissions following the acquisition and to ensure that our SBTs hereafter will be reflective of our current operation and structural changes.

47%

Absolute reduction in Scope 1+2 emissions by 2030 vs 2019

28%

Absolute reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030 vs 2019

90%

Absolute reduction in scope 1,2+3 by 2045 vs 2019
INITIATIVES

OUR NET ZERO INITIATIVES

We're aiming to achieve 100% renewable electricity procurement for all Scope 2 electricity by acquiring Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for all sites globally by 2030. As of 2024, 94% of Colt’s Group Scope 2 electricity consumption is procured from renewable sources using renewable energy certificates, a 16% increase in global Scope 2 renewable energy procurement from 2023.

Sustainable
backup
generation

Transitioning to more sustainable fuels for use in on-site backup generators for data centres.

Reducing refrigerant emissions

Reducing emissions from refrigerant leakages by improving detection systems and transitioning to low GWP refrigerants.

Reducing indirect emissions

Reducing indirect emissions by encouraging lower-carbon travel choices and setting an internal carbon price of €37 per tonne of CO2. This generates funding to invest in carbon removal initiatives.

DecomMissioning old networks

Decommissioning legacy SDG/TDM networks. In 2024, we shut down 32 switches and retired over 6,500 SDH devices across Europe, saving 13.2 GWh of grid electricity annually.

75% pure electric fleet by 2030

Electrifying our in-house fleet and committing to 75% pure electric vehicles by 2030, with an interim target of 38% by 2025. By the end of 2024 we had reached 38% excluding Lumen EMEA, and 30% BEVs plus 42% PHEVs including it.

SUPPLY CHAIN DECARBONISATION

Engaging suppliers representing 93% of our supply chain emissions and requiring carbon reduction plans and Science Based Targets aligned to 1.5°C within two years. In 2024, 56.8% of supply chain emissions were from suppliers with an SBT or Sustainability Schedule in place.

INNOVATION

Innovating for a sustainable future

sustainability through innovation

We deliver digital infrastructure that supports sustainability through innovation. Our goal is to be the supplier of choice, helping customers improve ESG performance. By building agile, energy-efficient and modular platforms, we reduce hardware needs, enable smart building services and advance high-performance networking. Our ESG strategy brings product, operations and marketing teams together to embed sustainability across the business.

Network as a Service
(NaaS)

Colt’s on-demand NaaS platform is a cloud service that lets organisations outsource networking instead of building and maintaining their own. By applying the efficiency of cloud models to networking, we help customers cut costs, improve agility and lower the environmental impact of their IT. Designed with sustainability at its core, the platform uses advanced software to give users efficient, intent-based control of their network.

Universal Customer Premise Equipment (uCPE)

Colt leads in using Universal Customer Premise Equipment (uCPE), which combines routing, firewalls and edge computing on one device. Paired with SD WAN, NFV and technologies like SASE, uCPE cuts hardware needs at customer sites, lowering energy use and complexity while boosting security and agility to adopt new solutions without replacing equipment.

Smart buildings

We piloted an award-winning Smart Buildings programme, an AI-driven sustainable building management platform that monitors, controls and improves the performance of a building’s core systems (e.g., heating, ventilation and air conditioning), thereby reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

Innovating in edge computing

We worked with Communications Infrastructure Networks (CIN) to build Street Edge, an edge compute pilot using Intel® technology. It provides fibre connectivity, internet access, cloud-native edge servers for tenant applications, and space and power for up to three 4G/5G base stations. By processing data near the source, edge computing reduces the energy used in long-distance transmission.

vCPE and EDG

The application of virtual Customer Premises Equipment (vCPE) and edge driven networks (EDN) also offers significant advantages over traditional CPE, such as reduced hardware requirements, reducing power, cooling and environmental impact.

Progress so far

Our progress against our 2019 baseline

In 2024, Colt’s Group total market-based carbon footprint was 352,635 tonnes of CO2e, a reduction of 35% in emissions compared to our baseline year 2019.

This is a reduction of 10% compared to the previous year. The emissions figures include data following the acquisition of Lumen EMEA.

achievements

Our achievements

EcoVadis platinum rating

We complete an annual EcoVadis assessment across 21 sustainability criteria spanning Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement.

In 2025, we earned a platinum medal with an 86/100 for the fourth year in a row, placing us in the top 1% globally.

Carbon disclosure project (CDP)

We disclose our environmental impact through CDP, the global standard for environmental reporting, joining thousands of companies around the world who are committed to transparency and sustainability.

In 2025, we received an A- from CDP for our climate change disclosure, and for the fourth year in a row, we’ve been awarded an A in Supplier engagement assessment, acknowledging our outstanding performance for the third consecutive year.