Annual Reports of Leading Telecommunications Operators:

There were no surprises in a recent report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) announcing that energy consumption is steadily rising and will continue to do so in the long-term. The report estimates that global energy consumption will rise by 2.5% annually through 2015, with fossil energy continuing to play a dominant role. And while much of this increased consumption can be attributed to lifestyle advancements in developing countries, the role of first world industry continues to contribute to the world's dwindling energy supply.

According to the annual reports of leading telecommunications operators, the industry is a heavy contributor to the trend in rising energy consumption, with some operators listed as the largest energy-consuming companies in their respective countries. These companies continue to introduce complex information and communications technologies, leading to an ever-increasing number of peripheral equipment running online and an increased demand on the world's energy supply. As a result of this increased demand, both CO2 emissions and energy costs have risen in parallel, putting operators under long-term financial pressure to reduce their consumption in order to meet corporate social responsibility requirements and/or federal regulations, as well as improve their bottom line. The continued increase in data demand and faster transfer rates leads to an increasing need for speed provided by communications equipment, which in turn amplifies the overall power consumption of the telecommunications industry.