25
March
2021
|
08:00
Europe/Amsterdam

Consumers choose KPN as the most sustainable Dutch telecom brand

Summary

 

 

Digitization in the time of COVID-19 is speeding up sustainability

Consumers rank KPN as the most sustainable telecom brand. This emerges from the Sustainable Brand Index, a large-scale survey of over 9,000 Dutch consumers. In the past year, KPN customers together saved more than three times the amount of energy needed to keep KPN's network running, simply by using digital services over the network of the Netherlands. This shows that digitization is a key accelerator for sustainability.

“The fact that KPN is ranked first among consumers in the telecom sector indicates that KPN's green ambitions are recognized and appreciated,” says Brechtje Spoorenberg, Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility at KPN. “Thanks to digitization across the network of the Netherlands, we as a society are succeeding in achieving significant energy savings.”

Energy savings through digitization
For example, last year because of COVID-19 large numbers of people in the Netherlands started working from home and children sometimes took part in online classes. We traveled considerably less, thereby reducing emissions from road transport considerably. In comparison with the energy needed to run KPN's network, working digitally by phone and internet saved more than three times as much energy (7.5 petajoules). Customers saved 277 million liters of fuel and avoided 3.7 billion kilometers of travel. This takes account of the higher energy consumption at home.

Traditionally, the telecom sector is among the biggest energy consumers in the Netherlands. During 2020, KPN once again succeeded in making the network of the Netherlands more sustainable, according to the recently published annual report. In the last ten years, our energy consumption decreased by 37%, while over the same period the amount of data increased almost 21-fold.

Energieverbruik

Sustainable Brand
Sustainability is an integral part of KPN’s strategy. For instance, KPN has been using exclusively green power since 2011, has been climate neutral since 2015 and aims to be virtually circular by 2025. These sustainable ambitions go beyond just minimizing the energy used.

“For us, sustainability means minimizing the impact on our environment while making a positive contribution by helping the Netherlands to solve societal issues,” says Brechtje Spoorenberg. “Just look at our efforts in the field of security to make the Netherlands safer, our commitment to health care and all the innovations to increase the quality of life in the cities. With our energy-efficient services, we help our customers to be more sustainable themselves.”

The Sustainable Brand Index is the largest brand study in Europe in the field of sustainability and consumer brands. In the Netherlands, it conducts an annual survey among more than 9,000 consumers about their perception of the sustainability of 196 brands that are well known in the Netherlands. Brands are selected impartially on the basis of market share, sales and overall brand recognition.