The World Bank and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) have published a joint study titled: “Measuring the Environmental impact of the ICT Sector – Arcep case study” devoted entirely to the pioneering approach spearheaded by Arcep. The Authority welcomes this international recognition of the work begun in 2019, and which has led to it being, ‘the first and only sectoral regulator today that publishes indicators on the data collected from ICT industry players to assess and track their environmental impact’. Arcep also welcomes the creation of a new ITU working group dedicated to this subject.
Close to 40% of national regulatory authorities want to be able to assess ICT’s impact on the environment, but scarcely 20% of them have the power to collect environmental data
Lamenting the lack of available data, the two organisations are calling on national regulators to take initiatives similar to Arcep’s, as part of the COP29 declaration on “Green Digital Action”, to work together on reducing ICT’s impact on the environment, and to use data to inform decision-makers and channel investment. To this end, they are encouraging NRAs to adopt Arcep’s collaborative approach which began by inviting interested associations, institutions, operators, tech companies and experts to contribute to its examination of this issue. The joint study highlights the chosen “multicriteria” approach which looks beyond just carbon footprint to investigate impacts tied to the use of rare metals and scarce resources, water use and recycling. It also underscores the effectiveness of data-driven regulation and mechanisms for sharing information, both of which are vital to raising awareness of the orders of magnitude and to informed decision-making.
The case study describes the “Achieving digital sustainability“ approach that Arcep adopted back in 2019, and which undergirds the Authority’s multiple works, including the ADEME-Arcep study on “The digital environmental footprint in 2020, 2030 and 2050“ and the FAQ: “ICT devices and practices: how can I curb my environmental footprint on a daily basis?”. The report looks at the gradual expansion of the Authority’s data collection powers, the work done to implement a standardised methodology for the annual “Achieving digital sustainability” survey and the lessons drawn from their findings.
Promoting Arcep’s work to ICT sector regulators
The World Bank and ITU hosted a webinar on 12 March 2025 to mark the official launch of the Arcep case study. This event was launched by Dr. Cosmas Zavazava, Director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, Casey Torgusson, the World Bank’s Global Program Manager for Digital Development, and Arcep Executive Board member, Xavier Merlin. This was followed by a presentation of Arcep’s work by the Director of its Economics, Markets and Digital Affairs department, Anne Yvrande-Billon, and a roundtable discussion with regulators from Brazil, South Africa, Zambia and BEREC.
ITU creates a new working group dedicated to ICT’s environmental footprint, chaired by Arcep
Arcep is keen to support ITU in this endeavour. To this end, the Authority will chair the newly created ITU “Sub-group on National Greenhouse Gas Emission Monitoring Indicators”. It will be represented by Loïs Ponce, Arcep’s Economics, Markets and Digital Affairs department policy officer. The inaugural task for this working group will be to produce a report on the scope and definition of environmental indicators for the ICT sector. The purpose of this document will be to propose a set of harmonised indicators to measure environmental impacts, including but not limited to Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions, total energy consumption, the use of renewable energy sources and actual achievement of climate targets.
“Arcep is honoured by the recognition of the World Bank and the ITU. A pioneer in the work of collecting environmental data and measuring digital technology’s environmental footprint, the Authority will continue and deepen the long-term work being carried out with a profound conviction that it provides a vital contribution to an informed public debate. At a time when digital practices are growing, driven in particular by artificial intelligence and as the world grapples with sobriety, competition and sustainability issues, Arcep aspires to securing accessible and sustainable tech for future generations.”
– Laure de La Raudière, Arcep Chair
Associated document