Our Position

We’re committed to measuring our GHG emissions and taking steps to reduce them.

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Our Action

We’ve been measuring and disclosing our GHG emissions annually since 2008. In 2020, we committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2035 across our entire global operations. We will achieve net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions³ through steps such as accelerating network optimization and energy efficiency projects, virtualizing many network functions, expanding sustainable media production, and scaling our renewable energy use.

Additionally, in 2019, we set science-based targets (SBT) to reduce our GHG emissions in line with international consensus on limiting global temperature increases to 2°C. Our targets were approved in 2020 by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) – a joint effort of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and World Resources Institute (WRI). Recognizing the urgent need for progress on emissions, AT&T has increased its ambition to align with a 1.5°C pathway. Our new, SBTi-approved goals are to:

• Reduce our absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 63% by 2030 (against the 2015 baseline). Since 2015, we have reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 37% and are currently ahead of our timeline to achieve our target by 2030.
• Work to ensure that 50% of our suppliers (covering purchased goods and services, capital goods and downstream leased assets as a portion of spend) set their own science-based Scope 1 and Scope 2 targets by 2024. Through the end of 2020, 40% of our suppliers have set such targets.

Since the majority of our emissions are tied to energy use, we aim to meet these targets by optimizing energy use in our facilities and networks, purchasing renewable energy, and engaging our key suppliers to encourage emissions reductions upstream. Read more in our Energy Management issue brief.

The AT&T Implementation, Provisioning and Optimization team oversees numerous aspects of our business that impact GHG emissions, including our energy efficiency and energy conservation measures, decommissioning activities, and renewable energy programs and purchases. Other measures impacting our emissions – such as our fleet, employee travel and expense policies – are managed within distinct departments in accordance with organizational directives and procedures.

We evolve our GHG emissions management program and reporting tools to keep pace with the changing landscape and scope of our company – as well as with relevant standards, protocols and best practices. We work with an integrated energy services provider to compile, analyze and produce annual reports related to our GHG emissions. The content and methods related to data calculation, estimation and aggregation are reviewed each year to identify opportunities for improvement.

We also obtain annual, independent assurance of our Scope 1, 2 and 3 (select categories) emissions, as well as select energy figures. For our 2020 reporting, TruCost conducted this assurance effort and its rigor in this process helps us realize continual, year-over-year improvements in accuracy. Learn more in the Independent Accountant’s Report.

Performance

In 2020, our combined Scope 1 and market-based Scope 2 emissions decreased 11.3% relative to 2019.

Scope 1 (Direct Emissions)

We also met our goal to reduce the GHG emissions of our U.S. fleet 30% from our 2008 baseline of 865,777 MT CO₂e. Through 2020, our U.S. ground fleet emissions have decreased 332,658 MT CO₂e – or 38.4% – from our 2008 baseline. This also represents a year-over-year decrease of 65,280 MT CO₂e – or 10.9% – from 2019.

To reduce fleet emissions, we are exploring several opportunities, including electrifying our fleet. In early 2020, we joined the Corporate Electric Vehicles Alliance (CEVA), which serves as a platform for companies to collaborate to increase corporate demand for electric vehicles (EVs). Through our membership in CEVA, we can work with other companies to identify challenges and opportunities involved in adding EVs to our fleet.

Scope 2 (Indirect Emissions)

We report emissions figures using the market-based Scope 2 emissions in accordance with the GHG Protocol to enable us to account for renewable electricity in our portfolio.

The primary reduction in Scope 2 emissions was due to additional renewable energy in our portfolio, decommissioning of network and real estate assets, and network radio resource efficiency improvements. We also implemented various internal efficiency projects, including building optimization modifications and repairs such as HVAC upgrades and lighting retrofits.

See our Energy Management issue brief for more information about our energy programs.

Scope 3 (Other Emissions)

Our most relevant sources of Scope 3 emissions include:

• Waste Generated in Operations: To calculate our emissions related to waste generation, AT&T uses the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Reduction Model to report emissions from several different waste management practices. We delineate our waste material by corrugated containers, office paper, dimensional lumber, yard trimmings, mixed paper, mixed metals, mixed plastics, mixed recyclables, food waste, mixed organics and mixed municipal solid waste. In 2020, our waste-related emissions were 65,646 MT CO₂e.
• Business Travel: Our business-related travel includes air and rail travel and rental car use. It does not include rideshare and taxi use. In 2020, our Scope 3 business-related travel emissions decreased 76% from 2019, almost exclusively due to the global pandemic and its restrictions on business-related travel.
• Downstream Leased Assets: We track emissions from the operation of assets owned by AT&T and leased to other entities (e.g., customers) that are not already included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 for the reporting year. Total emissions for leased assets in 2020 were 2.7 million MT CO₂e, a 26.5% decrease from 2019.
• Supplier Emissions: AT&T works with the CDP Supply Chain program to collect emissions data from our top suppliers. This data enables us to estimate 3 categories of Scope 3 supplier emissions: ^{7 7} Estimated for 3 categories only based on economic allocation of 2019 supplier GHG emissions, revenue and spend data for AT&T Communications, not including content and entertainment companies or suppliers’ own upstream Scope 3 emissions. The emissions are calculated from supplier responses to CDP Supply Chain using the industry-accepted economic allocation model. purchased goods and services, capital goods, and upstream transportation and distribution. In calculating the emissions estimates, we apply the economic allocation model. Each year, CDP receives data from the previous year’s emissions, so data received in 2020 covers 2019 supplier emissions. Given the annual 1-year lag in supplier emissions availability, those figures are not included in our overall 2020 Scope 3 emissions total but are listed in the 2019 table below. Please see our Responsible Supply Chain issue brief for further details about our supply chain efforts.

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