SUBSCRIBE
PROFILE

Telecom and data centre emissions rise 7% in France in 2023

Telecom operators and data centres recorded a rise in greenhouse gas emissions in 2023, diverging from the national decline reported during the same year.

Share:

Gain full professional access to energynews.pro from 4.90£/month.
Designed for decision-makers, with no long-term commitment.

Over 30,000 articles published since 2021.
150 new market analyses every week to decode global energy trends.

Monthly Digital PRO PASS

Immediate Access
4.90£/month*

No commitment – cancel anytime, activation in 2 minutes.

START NOW — 4.90£/month

*Special launch offer: 1st month at the indicated price, then 14.90 £/month, no long-term commitment.

Annual Digital PRO Pass

Full Annual Access
99£/year*

To access all of energynews.pro without any limits

SUBSCRIBE — 99£/year

*Introductory annual price for year one, automatically renewed at 149.00 £/year from the second year.

Sign up for free to unlock this article

Greenhouse gas emissions produced by major telecom operators and data centres in France increased by 7% in 2023, according to a report published by the Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse (Arcep) on April 17. This rise occurred despite a nationwide decrease in emissions of 5.8% over the same period.

Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free collectively emitted 397,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, representing a 4% increase compared to 2022. According to the figures provided, this amount is equivalent to 225 round-trip flights between Paris and New York. The increase reflects both direct and indirect emissions, driven largely by greater energy consumption from mobile networks.

Rising pressure on mobile networks

Electricity consumption by telecom infrastructure reached 4.1 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2023, a 2% year-on-year increase. This trend stems from a 6% rise in energy use across mobile networks, while fixed-line networks saw a 14% reduction. The growth in data traffic, fuelled by widespread digital usage and the rollout of 5G, has been a key factor.

Arcep noted that the expanding demand for mobile connectivity, combined with heavier usage from video streaming and real-time communication, continues to place significant strain on existing infrastructure. The expansion of network capacity and antenna densification further amplify the sector’s energy burden.

Data centres report double-digit growth

Data centres, which provide the computing power essential for large-scale information processing, recorded an 11% increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. This change reflects a substantial rise in electricity consumption required to support these facilities’ operations.

In parallel, the volume of water withdrawn by data centres reached 681,000 cubic metres in 2023, mostly sourced from potable water. This represents a 19% year-on-year increase and marks the second consecutive year of significant growth. The rise is mainly attributed to heightened cooling requirements for IT equipment.

According to the Agence de la transition écologique (Ademe), the digital sector accounted for 4.4% of France’s national carbon footprint in 2022. This figure may evolve if current energy consumption trends persist in the coming years.

  • Popular on energynews.pro
Iberdrola adds 708 MW of solar capacity to joint venture with Norges Bank
EDF power solutions and El Paso Electric launch 150 MW solar facility in New Mexico
TotalEnergies sells Norwegian oil assets to Vår Energi to reduce debt
Clariant targeted by BP and ExxonMobil in ethylene case
Exxon to cut up to 500 jobs in Singapore as part of global restructuring
TotalEnergies sells 35% of Danish Bifrost project to CarbonVault, a SCHWENK subsidiary
TotalEnergies reduced its stake in the Bifrost CO2 storage project in Denmark, bringing in CarbonVault as an industrial partner and future client of the offshore site located in the North Sea.
Two carbon capture projects set to launch in the UK with 500 jobs secured
The United Kingdom is launching the construction of two industrial carbon capture projects, backed by £9.4bn ($11.47bn) in public funding, with 500 skilled jobs created in the north of the country.
Frontier launches full-scale carbon management platform for the ethanol sector
Frontier Infrastructure, in partnership with Gevo and Verity, rolls out an integrated solution combining rail transport, permanent sequestration, and digital CO₂ tracking, targeting over 200 ethanol production sites in North America.
New Canadian programme trains specialists for the carbon capture industry
geoLOGIC and Carbon Management Canada launch a free online technical certificate to support industrial sectors involved in carbon capture and storage technologies.
ExxonMobil selected to store AtmosClear’s CO₂ in Louisiana
AtmosClear has chosen ExxonMobil to handle the transport and storage of 680,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year from its future biomass energy site at the Port of Baton Rouge, United States.
Brineworks raises €6.8mn to accelerate its direct air capture of CO₂
The Dutch start-up secures €6.8mn to industrialise a DAC electrolyser coupled with hydrogen, targeting sub-$100 per tonne capture and a €1.8mn European grant.
JAPEX receives licence to drill two exploratory wells off Tomakomai
Japan Petroleum Exploration is preparing two offshore exploratory drillings near Hokkaidō to assess the feasibility of CO₂ storage as part of the Tomakomai CCS project.
Singapore commits $55.6 million to forest carbon credits in Latin America and Africa
The Singaporean government has signed a contract to purchase 2.17 million mtCO2e of carbon credits from REDD+, reforestation and grassland restoration projects, with deliveries scheduled between 2026 and 2030.
Canada invests CAD5.8mn in three carbon capture projects in British Columbia
The Canadian government is funding three companies specialising in CO2 capture and utilisation, as part of a strategy to develop local technologies with high industrial value.
European carbon prices climb above €76 on compliance-driven demand
European carbon allowance prices reached a six-month high, driven by industrial compliance buying ahead of the deadline and rising natural gas costs.
Zefiro completes carbon credit delivery to EDF Trading for 92,956 tonnes of CO2
Zefiro Methane Corp. completed the delivery of carbon credits to EDF Trading, validating a pre-sale agreement and marking its first revenues from the voluntary carbon market.
Hanwha Power Systems to deliver CO₂ MVR compressors for a CCUS project in Europe
Hanwha Power Systems has signed a contract to supply mechanical vapour recompression compressors for a European combined-cycle power plant integrating carbon capture and storage.
1,460 GtCO2: Nature study reshapes allocation of global subsurface capacity
A prudent limit of 1,460 GtCO2 for geologic storage reshapes the split between industrial abatement and net removals, with oil-scale injection needs and an onshore/offshore distribution that will define logistics, costs and liabilities.
Frontier completes the deepest carbon storage well in the United States
Frontier Infrastructure Holdings drilled a 5,618-metre well in Wyoming, setting a national record and strengthening the Sweetwater Carbon Storage Hub’s potential for industrial carbon dioxide storage.
Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies launch the first subsea CO2 injection in Norway
The Northern Lights project has injected its first volume of CO2 under the North Sea, marking an industrial milestone for carbon transport and storage in Europe.
Verra and S&P Global Launch New Infrastructure to Boost Carbon Credit Markets
Verra and S&P Global Commodity Insights join forces to build a next-generation registry aimed at strengthening carbon market integration and enhancing transaction transparency.
Singapore and Thailand seal Article 6 deal for carbon credits
Singapore signs its first regional carbon credit agreement with Thailand, paving the way for new financial flows and stronger cooperation within ASEAN.
GIP Acquires 49.99% Stake in Eni CCUS Holding in Strategic Carbon Deal
Eni sells nearly half of Eni CCUS Holding to GIP, consolidating a structure dedicated to carbon capture and storage projects across Europe.
Funds Push European Carbon Positions to Highest Since April
Investors hold 28.9 million EUAs net long as of August 8, four-month record level. Prices stable around 71 euros despite divergent fundamentals.
Canada allocates $1.83 mn to TerraFixing to develop carbon capture
The federal government is funding an Ottawa-based company’s project to design a CO2 capture unit adapted to cold climates and integrated into a shipping container.