GSMA Breaks New Ground with Mobile Sector ESG Reporting Framework

London: The GSMA today launched a ground-breaking set of industry-specific environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting metrics for the mobile sector. Outlined in a white paper developed with EY, the proposed KPIs create an industry-specific layer above the widely recognised World Economic Forum’s Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics. The metrics aim to help the global mobile industry drive transformation and demonstrate value by aligning around a clear set of impact-led common ESG goals.

The GSMA and EY ESG Metrics for Mobile white paper, produced in collaboration with Yale Centre for Business and the Environment and 20 mobile operators representing 45% of the world’s mobile connections, lays out 10 mobile-specific common KPIs for ESG reporting. These common reporting standards cover a range of ESG focal areas, from energy consumption and emissions to supply chain, waste reduction, digital integrity and digital inclusion.

Demonstrating ESG value and selecting the right metrics to measure and disclose what is most material to the industry is a common challenge for the mobile sector. The proposed KPIs were developed to harmonise and simplify ESG reporting, delivering sector-specific insight to investor audiences and other mobile industry stakeholders. By providing meaningful, consistent data points, ESG progress can be tracked over time to provide a clear view of where the industry can maximise impact.

John Giusti, GSMA Chief Regulatory Officer, said: “By aligning around common metrics, the mobile industry can accelerate both the pace and impact of ESG. Increasingly, ESG performance is a key consideration for investors, customers and employees. By developing this harmonised framework, we’re placing the mobile sector at the forefront of meaningful ESG reporting. These metrics will help deliver informed, data-driven decisions around ESG, build trust, and allow the mobile industry to clearly demonstrate its positive impact on society.

Praveen Shankar, EY UK & Ireland Managing Partner for Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT), said: “Consistent measurement of operators’ ESG performance is the first step in moving from strategic ambition to execution. These KPIs are therefore designed to be simple, measurable and pragmatic – so that operators can start measuring and reporting them right away. We believe that these KPIs will make a positive impact for telecom operators and their ecosystem by providing actionable insights, and helping move the dial in one of the most important topics of our generation.”

To find out more about the ESG Metrics for Mobile proposals and submit your response to the consultation, please visit www.gsma.com/betterfuture/ESG.