- Orange is one of 17 global companies to have been awarded the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s 2023 Terra Carta Seal
- The Terra Carta Seal recognises global companies which are actively leading the charge to create a climate and Nature-positive future
- Orange’s ESG-by-design orientation was hailed as it puts CSR at the heart of the Group’s strategy to achieve a transition to a more sustainable future.
- Winners were selected by a panel of global experts from the environmental, business, political and philanthropic worlds
- Designed by Sir Jony Ive, the Terra Carta Seal embodies the vision and ambition of His Majesty King Charles III and the Terra Carta, as a recovery plan for Nature, People and Planet.
The Sustainable Markets Initiative today announced that Orange has been awarded its 2023 Terra Carta Seal. The Seal recognises global companies which are actively leading the charge to create a climate and Nature-positive future.
The Terra Carta Seal is awarded to companies which have demonstrated the success of a high-impact, large scale company-wide project, initiative or strategy which aligns with one or more of the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s ten Terra Carta Articles. The Articles underpin the Terra Carta, the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s guiding mandate which provides a roadmap and framework to accelerate the transition to an ambitious and sustainable future, placing Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation.
In 2019, Orange committed to be Net Zero Carbon by 2040. To achieve this, the Group has set itself interim targets: reducing CO2eq emissions in scopes 1 and 2 by 30% in 2025 compared with the 2015 level; reducing CO2eq emissions in scope 3 by 14% in 2025 compared with the 2018 level; and reducing CO2eq emissions in all three scopes by 45% in 2030 compared with the 2020 level. In addition, the Group's new "Lead the future" strategic plan, launched this year, introduces four priority ESG promises that are designed to make Orange an active player in the environmental transition; a trusted data provider; a leader in digital inclusion and empowerment; and an increasingly inclusive player for employees.
This ambition is reflected in the Group’s efforts to reduce its direct and indirect CO2 emissions:
- Reducing the energy consumption of networks and information systems, which account for 84% of Orange's CO2 emissions on scopes 1 and 2. A vast energy action plan has been launched and includes new levers such as the use of artificial intelligence, advanced standby modes or the ramp-up of active network sharing. This also includes a commitment to decarbonising the energy the Group consumes by using solar power for mobile masts for example.
- Extending the life of products and equipment by leveraging the circular economy across the entire value chain to limit the environmental impact of devices and equipment. By 2025, Orange will collect the equivalent of 30% of its annual mobile sales in Europe and 90% of set-top boxes; reconditioned mobile phones will account for 10% of sales and 100% of Orange products will be eco-designed.
- Implementing the capture of incompressible residual emissions in 2040 by financing natural carbon sink projects.
- Working with the International Telecommunication Union, the Group is also actively contributing to the development of methodologies to support ICTs in their effort to meet the goals set out in the Paris Climate Agreement.
Orange is also convinced that its long-term sustainability goals go hand-in-hand with its financial performance. As such, the Group is actively working to link part of its financing to sustainability and social responsibility goals. For example, Orange completed its first Sustainability-Linked Bond issue in September 2023, for a nominal amount of 500 million euros.
Orange joins 16 other companies spanning multiple geographies and industries to be awarded the 2023 Terra Carta Seal. They include:
- Airbus
- Carbon Clean
- CDPQ
- DLA Piper
- EY
- Haier Smart Home
- Hitachi
- LanzaTech
- Novartis
- Orange
- Ping An Bank
- Pollination
- ReNew
- Robertson
- Siemens Energy
- Soneva
- Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group
Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO, Sustainable Markets Initiative, said: “The Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Terra Carta Seal recognises those companies which are taking great strides in delivering real-world outcomes. As we stand on the eve of COP28, public, private sector and philanthropic actors will come together at the inaugural Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum to bridge the gap between ambition and action. It is examples exemplified by the 2023 Terra Carta Seal winners that are helping to inspire and lead the way.”
Christel Heydemann, Chief Executive Officer of the Orange Group, explained: “Climate change and its consequences are here to stay, and they will have an ever-greater impact on our business, both directly in terms of the increase in extreme events and indirectly in terms of access to energy, resources and raw materials. Given the scale and urgency of the climate challenge, we are determined to continue implementing an ambitious strategy to make Orange a leading player in the environmental transition based on quantified and certified objectives. The Terra Carta Seal recognition is a great honor for all the work we have achieved. It gives us full rein to continue our sustainable transformation and an opportunity to reinforce our commitment to lead and mobilize our partners on proposals to change the industry in order to pioneer a more sustainable future”.
The Terra Carta Seal was launched in 2021 at COP26 by His Majesty King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales. Since its inception, the Sustainable Markets Initiative has awarded its coveted Seal to just 83 companies globally.
For the first time this year, the judging process involved independent, external partners Verdantix and the Expert Review Panel, who worked together to assess the eligibility and impact of each nominated project against recognised global sustainability criteria.
This year’s cohort of winners impressed the judges with the breadth and scope of their projects, which included pioneering use of hydrogen and engineering-based initiatives to support carbon emission reductions, to the development of new frameworks to support the distribution of private capital, at scale, into transition-related infrastructure across the African continent.
David Metcalfe, CEO, Verdantix, added: “We are privileged to work with the Sustainable Markets Initiative, contributing our expertise in independent evaluation to the judging process. We take great pride in being an integral part of this esteemed global initiative, alongside a distinguished and diverse panel of experts. Together, we are dedicated to acknowledging and applauding the companies who lead the way in demonstrating their commitment to creating a sustainable future.”
