The inspiration for today’s blog posting incubated as I read an article last week about BT extending its commitment to climate change initiatives. It developed as I read about Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s 3 E’s (economy, energy and environment), listened to a BNL interview on Newsworld, and found that the environment was leading parliamentary Question Period. I started thinking about what Canadian telecom companies could and should be doing to enhance their adoption of green.
It seems to me that, like BT, Canadian telecom companies need to look at their own activities as a start and develop specific goals and programs to reduce harmful environmental impact. Further, the companies should set objectives to require suppliers to demonstrate commitments to similar initiatives.
As an easy start, why not provide better financial incentives for customers to move away from paper billing? How about reductions in travel and commuting for employees and aggressively promoting the green benefits of teleconferencing services. These are the services telecom companies sell! Facilitate recycling of batteries from cel phones and computers. Why can’t I bring all my used batteries to those cel phone kiosks in the malls? Let’s see commitments to green sources of power. Conversion of vehicle fleets to hybrids or trucks that use alternative energy sources.
By its very nature, telecom services should be seen as offering environmentally friendly solutions for any business. As a result, the telecom industry can be expected to benefit from increased consumer concerns about climate change. It should therefore show leadership in elevating the level of adoption of such solutions.
Comments? Other ideas?
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