UAE operator e& claimed to have made significant progress towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2030, stating it had begun to accelerate the implementation of climate action projects in the country.

It stated it has deployed up-to-date radio equipment which is more energy-efficient and employing AI to optimise power consumption based on traffic loads.

The update comes as the country prepares to host the United Nations COP28 climate change conference later this year, with 2023 declared the year of sustainability in the UAE.

One of e&’s deployments of the equipment reduced energy consumption by 52 per cent compared with its previous kit. This is equivalent to 7.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions per site per year for high-level sites.

e& also said it invested heavily in converting indoor sites to outdoor free cooling systems, reducing the Global Warming Potential of refrigerants by recovering, recycling and reusing gases.

It also now uses on-site renewable energy through solar panels and hybrid power systems to replace diesel generators at off-grid sites.

In March, e& struck a partnership with IBM to deploy software focused on sustainability, adding to a separate partnership with Ericsson.

Ahead of COP28, e& International CTO Sabri Ali Albreiki said it is “accelerating the pace of decarbonisation of its network infrastructure business to enable a low carbon society, reduce environmental impact and promote sustainability”.