'Sustainability increasingly important when choosing telecom provider'

Dutch consumers have voted KPN the most sustainable telecom brand in the Netherlands for the fourth time in a row. This is revealed in the latest Sustainable Brand Index, a survey of more than 12,000 Dutch people.

Green ambitions are seen and appreciated by a growing group of consumers and Brechtje Spoorenberg, KPN’s Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility sees it too: “Sustainability is increasingly playing a role when choosing a telecom provider. Meanwhile, more than half of our customers indicate that this is part of the selection process.”

For KPN, sustainability means seeking to minimize its impact as a company on its environment while at the same time making a positive contribution, helping the Netherlands to make progress in solving social issues.

“In recent years, for example, we have made modems, super-WiFi points and TV products more sustainable. Made in black recycled plastic, they are more environmentally friendly to produce and better to recycle. And we have increased the possibility to hand in used phones for reuse.”

Already climate neutral since 2015, KPN’s operations are also making strides by reducing energy consumption. “Our total energy consumption has fallen by 45 per cent since 2010 while data use increased about 24 times over the same period,” Spoorenberg says. “In the coming years, we want to save at least another 10 per cent and have planned some big moments on our way to becoming a circular company and achieving a fossil-free supply chain.”

Catalyst for more sustainability in the Netherlands

At the same time, KPN’s networks, products and services are also an important catalyst for making the Netherlands more sustainable. For example, fiber and 5G-connectivity make it possible to work from home and conduct business online, resulting in fewer kilometers being driven, and thanks to far-reaching digitalization, companies can further reduce their ecological footprint.”