CO2e emissions reduced by 10% compared to 2023, 35% against baseline 2019; over half a million euros donated to 67 charities through Corporate Social Responsibility programme
Colt Technology Services, the global digital infrastructure company, today published its fourth Sustainability Report. The report tracks progress for Colt Group – comprising Colt Technology Services (including Lumen EMEA) and Colt Data Centre Services – for the 12 months ending 31st December 2024 in the areas of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).
Over the past 12 months, Colt’s achievements include reducing CO2e market-based emissions by 10% compared to the previous year; securing a Platinum EcoVadis rating for the third consecutive year; donating €564,940 to 67 charities, a 114% increase from the previous year; and partnering with the Arctic Arts Project, a non-profit organisation dedicated to fighting climate change through collaboration, awareness and education.
These and other achievements are documented in the Sustainability Report which sets out Colt’s progress to net zero. Colt has committed to a 90% absolute reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 2045, using 2019 as the baseline year. The report highlights Colt’s deep commitment to these ambitious targets across its global business, outlining key milestones, initiatives, partnerships and programmes which have made a significant and measurable impact to its targets and reflects one of Colt’s core values, ‘We can change the world’.
Keri Gilder, CEO, Colt Technology Services said, “The role of business has evolved: purpose is now front and centre. Our employees, customers, and partners rightly expect us to act with integrity, to give back, and to tread lightly on the planet. At Colt, we carry that responsibility with pride and care. We truly believe that collectively we can make a difference, and our latest Sustainability Report is a reflection of that belief in action. It’s filled with stories, progress, and passion—proof that step by step, we’re helping to shape a better, more sustainable world. We’re pushing forward, together.”
Key progress to net zero highlighted in the report include:
- A 35% reduction in CO2e market-based emissions against the 2019 baseline, a decrease of 10% against the previous year
- A 79% reduction in Colt Group’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 market-based emissions compared to the 2019 baseline; a reduction of 34% compared to the previous year
- A 31% reduction in Scope 3 emissions against the 2019 baseline – a 9% reduction since 2023
- 97.4% of the electricity used for Colt’s operations in the UK and Europe and across Colt DCS global operations was sourced from renewable energy through the use of renewable energy certificates
- 94% of the Scope 2 electricity procured for Colt’s global sites was from renewable sources in 2024, an improvement from 78% in 2023, with a target of reaching 100% renewable Scope 2 electricity for all sites globally by 2030
- 590.5 tonnes of IT hardware was recycled, equivalent to around 2,200 tonnes of CO2 and an estimated 5,600 tonnes of virgin materials
- Of Colt’s fleet of 445 active vehicles,30% were Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and 42% Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) against a target of achieving 75% fully electric fleet by 2030
- Completion of the transition from Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) networks in Europe, a significant milestone in network modernisation and sustainability, powering down the final 32 switches, migrating voice customers to modern platforms and potentially leading to a substantial energy saving of 13.2 GWh per year and the removal of 130,000 legacy circuits from the network.
- 90.9% of Colt’s supplier spend was with suppliers who had contracts that included clauses on environmental, labour, and human rights requirements
Image courtesy of Arctic Arts
Further highlights from around the Colt business outlined in the 2024 report include:
The expansion of its Global Social Impact Strategy that aims to empower Colt’s communities through digital education and inclusion
- €564,940 was donated to 67 charities in 2024 (a 114% increase from 2023) through Colt’s CSR programme.
- Additionally, the Colt Charity Bike Ride raised over €122,000 boosted by €222,982 in matched funding
- Over 1000 employee volunteering days were dedicated to supporting external charities and initiatives, an increase of 19% since the previous year
- Independent recognition was achieved for programmes and initiatives including:
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- Platinum EcoVadis recognition for the third consecutive year
- LCL Carrier Partner Sustainability Award, recognising the IT company with the most significant contribution to sustainability
- Bertelsmann Eco-Innovation Supplier Award celebrating the most innovative and outstanding ESG initiatives for IT suppliers, for its Smart Building pilot
- Bronze award won from the Inclusive Employers Standard, a globally recognised workplace accreditation and benchmarking tool for inclusion and diversity
- Circular Economy Transition of the Year Award for the EMEA region at the 2024 Environmental Finance Sustainable Company Awards, for its pilot with Urban Miners which has been expanded across European offices to recycle decommissioned equipment
- Colt announced a three-year partnership with environmentalists and educators the Arctic Arts Project. As ‘Polar Partner’, the partnership supports Colt’s commitment to drive action in addressing climate change through collaboration, awareness and education.
- Colt became a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact’s Women’s Empowerment Principles and joined the UN Global Compact Target Gender Accelerator Programme
- 44.7% of new hires are female against an industry benchmark of 17%
- Colt’s UK and EU Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) were approved by the regulator, with Colt as a processor and controller. This approval, combined with its existing best-practice global security standard ISO27701, means Colt has become the first telecoms company in the world to reach this rigorous set of security standards – the highest privacy standard for data protection that companies can reach.
Find the report here.
About the Colt Group Sustainability Report 2024
Colt Group is a global digital infrastructure company and data centre services group. It operates two businesses: Colt Technology Services (Colt) (including Lumen EMEA) and Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS). The Colt Group Sustainability Report covers the period 1 January to 31 December 2024, unless otherwise stated. The report includes performance data across the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) material issues identified. In 2024, Colt Group conducted its first double materiality assessment (DMA) in preparation for the sustainability disclosures required by the upcoming European Union’s ESG reporting regulations. This process helped Colt to identify its material topics by considering the concept of double materiality, which looks at both the company’s impact on the planet and the risks and opportunities it faces within its broader context.
The report covers Colt Group and was developed in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. The sustainability activities reported by Colt Group have been independently verified by the British Standards Institution (BSI). More information can be found in the appendix, with the external assurance statement by the BSI.