KPN goes all-in on green, every single hour

Today, KPN signs the UN Compact 24/7 Carbon Free Energy (CFE). With this, KPN aims to use only sustainable electricity at all times of the day - 24/7 - as part of its goal to be Net Zero by 2040. KPN has reduced its energy consumption by 43% since 2010, takes part of its electricity directly from a solar park of Eneco, and will also source electricity from a wind farm starting in 2027. With this new step, KPN underscores its position as a leader in the energy transition in the Netherlands and as one of the greenest telecom operators in the world.
 
Strategic Importance 
Wouter Stammeijer, Chief Operating Officer and member of the Board of Directors of KPN: “We are constantly working to reduce and make our network's energy consumption more sustainable, and we are making significant strides. This step fits into that. Our goal is to use only electricity without emissions at every hour of the day. That is why we invest in renewable energy, such as solar and wind. And we use modern battery systems and targeted certification. This is important for achieving our sustainability goals, our competitive position, and complying with future legislation. It is therefore of strategic importance for KPN and contributes to a more sustainable Netherlands.”
 
Already 100% Compensation 
Since 2011, KPN has been purchasing certificates to fully compensate its annual energy consumption by 100%. To move towards a completely fossil-free energy supply, KPN wants its electricity to come from sustainable sources at every hour of the day. For this reason, KPN has worked with Eneco to increase energy from solar and wind, accelerating the energy transition. 

Soon 60% Carbon Free Energy 
The solar park Kabeljauwbeek already provides 10% of KPN’s energy consumption that is completely emission-free (CFE score: 10%). From January 1, 2027, KPN will take a significant portion of the energy from the wind farm Ecowende, which will supply 50% of KPN’s energy consumption. Together, this will increase KPN’s CFE score to 60%.
 
Exchanging Sustainable Electricity 
KPN is constantly looking for collaborations that can contribute to the goal of being Net Zero by 2040. For example, KPN, together with Google and Eneco, has recently started a pilot project to exchange surpluses of sustainable electricity. KPN and Google sometimes receive more sustainable power from their solar and wind parks than they can use, and at other times, they have too little. By exchanging these moments, they help each other to run on sustainable sources for more hours of the day. If the pilot is successful, it will lead to a significant increase in the CFE score. 
KPN is also a co-initiator of the 24/7 Carbon Free Energy project of the Platform Energy Awareness. This project, involving multiple companies, grid operators, and NGOs, works to solve barriers to enabling 100% 24/7 CFE in the Netherlands. For example, granular certificates to demonstrate where electricity is generated on an hourly basis. 

UN Compact 24/7 
The UN Compact 24/7 CFE is an initiative under the auspices of the United Nations. Daily management is carried out by the organization Sustainable Energy for All. It is a voluntary commitment to strive for electricity that comes from renewable sources every hour of the day, together with other parties. Notable signatories include Google, Microsoft, Stanford University, Mitsubishi, SAP, and Engie. 

Photo above: Servee Derks
l.r.:  Stephan de Jonge, Jorrit Bakker, Wouter Stammeijer, and Ben Gill