During the last years, Telefónica has been working in developing materiality analysis as part of its sustainability engagement and reporting process. This analysis includes –together with the sustainability matters- an assessment on wider environmental issues for Telefónica. This process has resulted into major environmental aspects relevant for the company businesses: green ICT services, environmental management and environmental supply chain management. These will impact on interest groups and on company strategy.
During 2012, within its Green ICT & Environment strategy we have started to work on a particular methodology for environmental materiality assessment (EMA) in the Company. This effort is intended to understand Telefónica`s contribution to support the environmental sustainability of the ICT sector in general.
This methodology for materiality assessment has considered as material environmental aspects, the environmental risks that are relevant for Telefónica worldwide and the environmental trends in the ICT Sector. Some of the environmental material issues are: customer e-waste management, mobile networks impact on landscape, electromagnetic fields, energy efficiency in networks, green ICT services, among others.
The following graph represents a first excersice of the EMA in Telefónica during 2012.
Environmental Materiality Assestment Exercise, 2012
For stakeholder identification we have considered two types of parties. The first one, linked to internal activities of Telefónica such as the departments of operations, environment, sustainability, regulatory, legal, devices, commercial lines, among others. The second type of stakeholders are those institutions and organizations that have relationship with ICTs and environment in some extent for example: ICT industry associations; ICT & environmental standardization bodies; ICT companies in general; industry analysts; NGOs; environmental consulting firms working in the ICT sector; among others.
During 2013, Telefónica will continue its environmental materiality assessment and include our customers in this process.