American Tower (ATC) has invested approximately $300 million in energy efficiency improvements and solutions
Airtel Africa and American Tower (ATC) have announced a multi-year strategic partnership that involves communication sites across Kenya, Niger, Nigeria and Uganda and prioritizes extending digital inclusion to underserved communities and advancing the pair’s green initiatives.
All new sites built under the agreement will comply with ATC Africa’s green site specifications, which ATC said will “substantially reduce reliance on fossil fuels” and help the tower company achieve its science-based targets (SBTs). Specific goals include increasing the number of its solar assist sites to 12,000 by 2025, reducing direct scope 1 and indirect scope 2 GHG emissions by at least 40% by 2035 and cutting indirect scope 3 supply chain emissions by at least 40%.
Airtel Africa and ATC said that over time, they will convert existing telecommunications sites to ATC green site specifications, as well.
According to Airtel Africa CEO Segun Ogunsanya, “sustainability is at the core of [the carrier’s] strategy.” Also important, he shared, is extending coverage to “increasingly remote areas.”
ATC’s commitment to sustainability comes in the form of the roughly $300 million it has invested to date in energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy deployments and energy storage solutions. “Over the last several years, ATC Africa has made forward-thinking investments to ensure we achieve tangible reductions in our on-site fossil fuel consumption in Africa,” stated Marek Busfy, SVP and CEO of ATC Africa.
The company also said that it has earmarked additional investments to fund the implementation of future energy efficiencies. “As we selectively extend the platform services we offer, we are demonstrating our commitment to introduce new and renewable sources of energy to power our sites, which protects the industry, our customers and consumers from ongoing and future volatility in fuel prices,” Busfy continued.
