Industries urged to adopt renewable energy use

The ATC Ghana, a subsidiary of the American Tower Corporation, has urged businesses to adopt the use of renewable energy such as solar to reduce carbon emissions. 

That, the company said, would ensure environmental sustainability.

The American Tower Corporation is a leading independent owner, operator and developer of global wireless telecommunications solutions.

A statement issued by the company said it was leading the way in the climate change fight by investing in solar equipment to provide backup power as an alternative to diesel-powered generators at about 80 per cent of its sites.

“So far, about 80 per cent of our sites have solar as backup power with a plan in place to switch more sites to solar power in the coming years.

While solar energy remained the most effective and readily available renewable option for the global markets in which the company operated, the statement said the American Tower continually explored additional alternatives to meet its goals, adding that “the substantial investment and prioritisation of sustainability initiatives underscore American Tower’s dedication to the industry’s transition toward a low-carbon future”.

Strategies

The company said the investment formed part of its commitment to ensure environmental sustainability in providing critical digital infrastructure to different markets across the globe.

In line with that, the company has outlined three strategic pillars in the area of environment, social and governance to align with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Global Compact Principles on Environment.

The company said it had adopted a business model that fundamentally minimised not only its environmental impact but that of the overall telecommunications industry.

This, the company said, was to combat climate change and protect the environment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This includes energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy procurement and on-site generation and sophisticated energy storage.

In order to drive the strategy and facilitate measurable progress, the company said it had adopted greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

This seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2035 against a 2019 baseline.

“By aligning its goals with the SBTi and the Paris Agreement, American Tower is actively contributing to the collective efforts to limit global warming by reducing its exposure to climate-related risks and better capitalising on climate-related opportunities,” the statement said. 

Efforts

Highlighting some strides, the ATC said in Africa, for instance, it invested about $345 million in renewable solutions and energy reduction initiatives, adding that “since 2018, American Tower has decreased its on-site diesel consumption by an estimated 43.5 million litres annually when compared to business-as-usual operations”.

The statement said the ATC Ghana was investing in solar equipment to provide backup power as an alternative to diesel-powered generators to reduce the carbon emissions emanating from its sites.

“So far, about 80 per cent of its sites have solar as backup power with a plan in place to switch more sites to solar power in the coming years.

“By harnessing solar energy, these sites are helping reduce GHG emissions and contributing to a greener and a more sustainable future,” the statement said.

Recycle

In the area of waste recycling, the statement said the ATC Ghana initiated a programme to properly recycle waste oil and batteries to ensure a safe and responsible management of hazardous waste generated from its sites.

Under this initiative, used oil and batteries were collected, processed and recycled to prevent them from improper disposal to mitigate against soil and water pollution.