The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked the telecom service providers and mobile tower operators to reduce their carbon emissions. DoT has directed them to scale up their investments in green energy solutions and technologies to reduce the carbon footprint.

The telecom department is of the view that a reduction in the carbon emissions by the telecom operators will supplement the overall profitability achieved by the sector lately. Earlier, an inter-ministerial panel was constituted to monitor the levels of carbon reduction by the telecom operators.

In 2012, the government had come up with a green policy for the sector to meet India’s overall green energy targets. Accordingly, the operators are required to cut carbon emissions by 12 per cent by 2016-17 and 17 per cent by 2018-19 through reductions in diesel consumption along with adoption of greener technologies.