KPN again voted most sustainable telecom provider

Dutch consumers have once again chosen KPN as the most sustainable telecom brand. This result will be presented today in the Sustainable Brand Index, a large-scale survey of over 11,000 Dutch consumers. KPN’s products and services are energy-efficient and customers saved a considerable amount of energy in the past year. This shows that digitalization is a key accelerator for sustainability.

“The fact that we are ranked first by consumers for the third time indicates that KPN's green ambitions are recognized and appreciated,” says Brechtje Spoorenberg, Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility at KPN. “More than half of our customers say that sustainability plays a role in their choice of telecom provider. Thanks to digitalization across the network of the Netherlands, we as a society are succeeding in achieving significant energy savings.”

Digitalization and sustainability
Thanks to KPN’s products and services, customers achieved an energy saving in the past year (2021) that was more than three times greater than the energy KPN needed to keep the network of the Netherlands running.

Thanks in part to online remote working, fewer kilometers were driven and digitalization allowed customers to reduce their ecological footprint by avoiding emitting 518,000 tons of CO₂e and 2,000 tons of particulate matter. All in all, this means that using KPNs services and products resulted in a collective cost saving of 375 million euros.

Traditionally, the telecom sector is among the biggest electricity consumers in the Netherlands. During 2021, KPN once again succeeded in making the network of the Netherlands more sustainable, as confirmed in its recently published annual report. In more than ten years, KPN’s energy consumption decreased by 45%, while over the same period the volume of data increased almost 21-fold.

Sustainable Brand
KPN recently increased its sustainability ambition and is aiming to achieve net zero emissions in the chain by 2040. For instance, the network of the Netherlands has been using exclusively green power since 2011, has been climate neutral since 2015 and aims to be virtually circular by 2025. Sustainability is an integral part of KPN’s strategy.

“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.”

The Sustainable Brand Index is the biggest and most authoritative survey in Europe in the field of sustainability and consumer brands. In the Netherlands, it conducts an annual survey among more than 11,000 consumers about their perception of the sustainability of 202 brands that are well known in the Netherlands.