American Tower Corporation a leading independent owner, operator and developer of wireless and broadcast communications real estate, has released its 2022 sustainability report in which it says it has decreased its direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (scope 1) by 11% from 2019.
As for its African operation, the company says that through investment of more than US$350 million in renewable energy deployments, sophisticated energy storage solutions and energy reduction initiatives in Africa since 2018, ATC has decreased its on-site diesel consumption by an estimated 43.5 million litres annually when compared to business-as-usual operations. This equates to roughly 117,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) avoided.
To achieve such goals, ATC Africa has deployed on-site solar power and lithium-ion batteries and has adopted advanced technologies to drive energy efficiency at its tower sites. The company last year launched a Green Sites initiative in Africa to ensure that all newly built sites meet American Tower’s Green Site specifications, which require the sites to generate less than four MTCO2e per year.
In addition, the company, through its Kenya operations, plans to substitute 30% of its diesel fuel with biodiesel, which has, through a successful proof of concept, already delivered an approximate 16% reduction in GHG emissions when compared to traditional diesel.
As of 2022, over 45% of sites in American Tower’s global portfolio – more than 100,000 sites – have achieved ISO 14001 certification. ISO 14001 is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system.
The company is working to increase this, with additional markets in Africa and Latin America pursuing certification by 2025.
