BT achieves 100% renewable electricity worldwide
In an announcement made by BT, the company reported its achievement of meeting its 100% renewable electricity worldwide milestone. The company announced its achievement at a Digital Impact & Sustainability Business Briefing for analysts and investors, alongside its announcement that its ‘Top Tips on Tech’ campaign has helped 5.7mn people in the UK to stay connected during COVID-19.
The switch to renewable
BT - the UK’s joint largest private purchaser of electricity - plans to run its global operations on renewable electricity where markets allow, purchasing the remainder from neighbouring markets and collaborating with members of the RE100 initiative until a local solution can be found.
The company's transition to renewable electricity has been achieved by supporting the development of local renewable energy markets. Out of the 100% renewable electricity, 16% is supplied by corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) while the remainder comes from high quality green tariffs or renewable certificates.
BT reports that making this switch will help the company reduce its carbon emissions in March 2021 by an estimated 54,000 tonnes compared to the last financial year.
"As an organisation that consumes nearly 1% of the UK’s electricity, it is important for BT to demonstrate its commitment to a green recovery. Our team has worked hard to secure renewable electricity contracts for our sites globally, a crucial step towards the Paris agreement’s 1.5°c target,” commented Cyril Pourrat, Chief Procurement Officer at BT.
“We congratulate BT on their tremendous work to switch entirely to renewable electricity. BT was an early pioneer in setting a 100% goal, and has made impressive progress. Now, by transparently sharing not only their successes but also the challenges they face in a few remaining markets, BT is helping to accelerate local solutions and unlock clean energy use around the world,” added Welcoming the news, Sam Kimmins, Head of RE100, the Climate Group.
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