Arcep has been collecting indicators from tech companies since 2020, to be able to track the progression of their environmental footprint, while steadily expanding this data collection to new players. The Authority relays this information through the publication of its annual “Achieving digital sustainability” survey. The fourth edition of this survey, published in April 2025, was expanded to include a new category of stakeholder: mobile network equipment suppliers. Looking ahead to its next collection campaign in 2026, for the 2027 edition of its annual survey, Arcep is publishing a new draft decision for public consultation.
To assess the environmental impact of AI, data collection is being expanded to include cloud service providers[1]
The planned indicators are designed to assess greenhouse gas emissions associated with cloud service providers’ operations, along with the power and water consumed by the computer hardware used to provide cloud services. Other proposed indicators seek to assess the impact of generative AI on this consumption of resources, and on the volume growth and replacement rate for cloud providers’ servers and storage equipment.
New indicators for some of the stakeholders already being surveyed, to obtain a more accurate measure of the environmental impact of ICT hardware
For those stakeholders that are already being queried (leading electronic communications operators, device and mobile network equipment suppliers), the new indicators are designed to:
- Asses the power consumption of fixed and mobile backhaul networks and core networks;
- Obtain a more detailed view of how the different display technologies affect computer screens’ power consumption;
- Assess emissions generated across the life cycle of mobile phones, televisions, laptop computers and computer displays;
- Streamline analysis of the carbon footprint of certain equipment that comprise a cell site.
A gradual and cooperative enhancement of the annual “Achieving digital sustainability” survey: stakeholders invited to comment on the planned indicators
Arcep continues to engage in a collaborative process to develop the collection of environmental data. Since the start of 2025, it has been involved in discussions with cloud service providers to define relevant and methodologically sound indicators. The Authority also maintains an ongoing dialogue with stakeholders that have already been queried, to discuss the planned changes and obtain their initial feedback.
To gather reactions and comments from the largest possible number of parties on the planned data collection, the public consultation will be open to every stakeholder until 31 October 2025.
Examination of the responses to this public consultation will help inform the final collection decision, which will be published before the end of the year.
The “Achieving digital sustainability” survey, an integral part of Arcep’s “Ambition 2030” strategy
This work is fully in line with the strategic objective of “improving and sharing knowledge of digital technology’s impact on the environment,” set out in Arcep’s “Ambition 2030” strategy. The associated roadmap includes gaining a deeper understanding the environmental impact of AI. To this end, the decision being published today for public consultation proposes expanding data collection to include cloud computing service providers, and incorporating new indicators for some of the stakeholders already being queried.
Associated documents
Arcep’s annual “Achieving digital sustainability” survey,
Informing public debate and devising a low-carbon strategy for digital technology
In April 2025, Arcep published the fourth edition of its annual survey, which included indicators collected from digital industry stakeholders, with the purpose of assessing ICT’s impact on the environment in France. A tool designed to inform public debate and collective thinking about a low-carbon strategy for digital technology, this annual survey also aims to identify levers for action, as much from economic stakeholders as users.
For this fourth edition, data collected from the four main electronic communications operators was completed by data collected from mobile network equipment suppliers.
The fifth edition of the “Achieving digital sustainability” survey (which is due to be published in early 2026) will draw on the data collection campaign expanded in March 2025, and include:
• new indicators collected from telecom carriers, device manufacturers and data centre operators;
• indicators collected from new stakeholders: fibre optic cable manufacturers.
Arcep’s data collection powers
To obtain a full and detailed assessment of the digital environmental footprint, back in 2020, amongst the 11 proposals contained in its report on “Achieving digital sustainability”, Arcep proposed creating a Green Barometer. In 2021, the Government entrusted Arcep with the task of creating this barometer, covering the entire digital ecosystem. The “Chaize Act”, on reinforcing regulation of the digital sector by Arcep, strengthens Arcep’s powers by giving it the ability to collect environmental data not only from electronic communications operators, but also from online communication service providers, data centre operators, device manufacturers, network equipment suppliers and operating system providers. In 2024, the Law on Securing and Regulating Cyberspace (the “SREN” Act) expanded Arcep’s collection powers to include cloud service providers.
[1] In accordance with the “SREN Act” adopted on 21 May 2024, which expands Arcep’s environmental data collection powers to include cloud computing service providers.