- Net zero carbon isn’t a distant ambition at Orange. It’s already changing how the Group designs and operates its networks, infrastructure, devices, and day-to-day activities.
- More energy-efficient networks, lower-consumption data centers, and smarter energy management are already delivering measurable results across the business
- New partnerships with suppliers, along with reuse, refurbishment, eco-design, and renewable energy initiatives, are being rolled out at increasing scale across the Group.
- The goal: reach net zero carbon by 2040, ten years ahead of the timeline set by the Paris Agreement, following a pathway validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Net zero carbon is already changing the game
Becoming net zero carbon means reducing greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible, by at least 90% under the SBTi standard, and then addressing the small amount of residual emissions that cannot be fully eliminated.
At Orange, that goal is set for 2040, ten years ahead of the Paris Agreement timeline.
But net zero carbon isn’t simply a target for 2040. It’s a transformation that’s already underway today, changing the way we operate our networks, buildings, data centers, equipment, and vehicle fleets.
Reaching that goal requires action on several fronts.
First, we’re reducing emissions directly linked to our operations, such as fuel used by company vehicles or gas consumed in buildings. These are known as scope 1 emissions.
We’re also reducing emissions linked to the electricity used to power our networks, buildings, and technical infrastructure. These are scope 2 emissions.
The biggest challenge, however, lies in scope 3 emissions, which account for more than 80% of Orange’s carbon footprint today. These include equipment manufacturing, procurement, supplier activities, the use of our products by both consumer and business customers, and end-of-life treatment of those products.
The results are already clear. In 2025, Orange reduced its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 49% compared with 2015, exceeding its initial targets. Scope 3 emissions also declined, falling 16% compared with 2018.
This progress follows a pathway validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The next milestone is already in sight: reducing emissions across all scopes by 45% by 2030 compared with 2020 levels, before reaching net zero carbon in 2040.
Find out more about our net carbon roadmap and key figures on our Reducing CO2 page.
This progress has been driven in part by increased renewable energy sourcing, along with the modernization of the Group’s networks, infrastructure, and equipment.
Networks and data centers: doing more with less energy
A large part of our emissions reduction effort is happening inside the technical infrastructure that powers our networks.
For several years, we’ve been modernizing equipment, rolling out more energy-efficient technologies while retiring older ones. Fiber, next-generation network equipment, and smarter energy management all contribute to a simple objective: carry more data while using less energy.
One approach is to use the right amount of energy at the right time, without compromising service quality. Some network equipment can automatically reduce energy consumption when traffic is lower, such as overnight or during quieter periods.
On certain mobile sites, AI-powered algorithms can even adjust power consumption in real time based on network usage, reducing energy consumption by up to threefold in some cases.
The same thinking applies to our data centers. The two latest Orange data centers brought into service in France in 2024 use 30% less energy than previous generations. One reason is their use of free cooling. Instead of relying on traditional air conditioning around the clock, they use outside air to cool equipment whenever conditions allow. The result: up to 80% less need for artificial cooling.
Behind these improvements is our Green ITN (Green IT & Networks) program. Since its launch in 2015, the program has focused on making both our networks and information systems more energy efficient. So far, it has helped save more than 6.6 TWh of electricity and more than 550 million liters of fuel. In 2025 alone, energy savings reached 1,452 GWh.
Solar power continues to expand
Reducing emissions also means changing the way we power our networks and infrastructure. In 2025, more than half of the electricity consumed by the Group came from renewable sources.
In some parts of the world, that transformation is especially visible. Across Africa and the Middle East, more than 15,000 mobile sites are now equipped with solar panels.
Much of the challenge lies beyond our direct operations
Reducing direct emissions isn’t enough. Today, most of Orange’s carbon footprint comes from activities beyond the Group’s day-to-day operations.
In 2025, 82.5% of our emissions came from equipment, devices, and services purchased from suppliers, products used by customers, and the end-of-life treatment of equipment..
That’s why we launched the Partners to Net Zero Carbon program in 2024. Its goal is to work alongside our highest-emitting suppliers and help them reduce their own carbon footprints.
We’ve identified 40 priority suppliers, representing around 60% of the emissions linked to the Group’s purchasing activities. Shared roadmaps are gradually being put in place, with measurable targets and concrete actions to reduce emissions. So far, progress plans have already signed with ten major suppliers.
The transformation also extends to the equipment we use every day. Orange continues to strengthen its eco-design approach, reducing environmental impact throughout a product’s lifecycle, from manufacturing through to end-of-life.
Launched in France in 2025, the latest generation of Livebox 7 and Livebox S includes several eco-design improvements: recycled plastics, improved repairability, low-energy displays, natural cooling without an electric fan, and optimized packaging
Livebox 7 also features a next-generation Intelligent Wi-Fi system that can automatically switch off the 5 GHz band when it isn’t needed, reducing electricity consumption by up to 30%.
Meanwhile, Livebox S reuses refurbished power units recovered from older Livebox 5 devices, providing a practical way to extend the lifespan of existing equipment.
Scaling up the circular economy through the RE program
Reducing our carbon footprint also means rethinking how equipment is used, repaired, and powered.
Since 2020, Orange has been expanding its RE program, built around the principles of the circular economy. The goal is simple: give equipment a second life whenever possible.
That includes collecting used mobile phones, repairing them, refurbishing them, recycling them, and expanding our range of refurbished devices. Since 2010, the Group has collected more than 24.5 million mobile phones.
The same approach applies to fixed equipment. Between 2020 and 2025, nearly 19 million broadband routers and TV set-top boxes were collected or refurbished.
Reduce first, address residual emissions second
Even with significant emissions reductions, some activities will remain difficult to fully decarbonize. By 2040, around 10% of our emissions are expected to remain unavoidable.
To address these residual emissions, we’re also developing carbon sequestration projects through the Orange Nature fund. These projects rely exclusively on natural carbon sinks such as forests and soils.
The priority remains the same: reduce emissions linked to the Group’s activities as much as possible, then address the small proportion that cannot be eliminated.
A few figures that show the scale of the transformation already underway
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Millions of trees planted: 540 hectares reforested in Cameroon, representing 1.5 million trees planted, along with 3,000 hectares restored in Madagascar, with more than 1 million trees planted..
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1,452 GWh Electricity saved in 2025 through the Green ITN program.
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15,000 Mobile sites equipped with solar panels across Africa and the Middle East, representing 30% of the mobile sites in the region.
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24.5 million Mobile phones collected by Orange since 2010 for refurbishment or recycling.
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19 million Broadband routers and TV set-top boxes collected or refurbished between 2020 and 2025.
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84% of the Orange Nature fund already committed to carbon sequestration projects.
Examples include fuel used by company vehicles, gas or heating in buildings, and refrigerant leaks from air-conditioning systems.
Examples include the manufacture and transport of equipment such as broadband routers, antennas, and servers; purchased services; supplier activities; transportation provided by contractors; energy used by customers when operating their devices; and end-of-life treatment of equipment through recycling, landfill, or incineration.
Because a significant portion of a telecom operator’s environmental footprint comes from manufacturing devices, network infrastructure, and electronic components.
That’s why Orange now works directly with suppliers to develop emissions-reduction roadmaps known as improvement plans. To date, ten progress plans have already been signed with our main suppliers.
This breakdown also varies by region. In Africa and the Middle East, for example, energy sources are often more carbon intensive. As a result, Scopes 1 and 2 account for around 50% of emissions.
AI can help optimize energy use by adjusting equipment consumption based on actual traffic levels. Some mobile sites can automatically reduce power consumption during quieter periods while maintaining network performance and service quality.
New generations of network technology are designed to carry far more data while using less energy.
More recent technologies are generally more efficient than older ones delivering the same service.
For example, fiber uses less energy than legacy copper infrastructure while carrying significantly more internet traffic. The same principle applies to mobile networks: gradually replacing older technologies such as 3G with newer networks improves energy efficiency while supporting growing digital usage.
