ZTE’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, including reaching carbon neutrality in its operations by 2040 and net-zero emissions by 2050, were approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

The Chinese vendor submitted its proposal to SBTi in September 2023. Its goals include: cutting direct and indirect carbon emissions (Scope 1 and 2) relative to a 2021 baseline by 52 per cent by 2030 and 90 per cent by 2040; and lowering third-party emissions (Scope 3) per unit of product performance by 52 per cent.

ZTE decreased overall carbon emissions by 9.7 per cent year-on-year in 2023, with operation Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions declining 3 per cent, and Scope 3 emissions in the upstream and downstream falling 9.8 per cent. 

Its photovoltaic power generation capacity increased 700 per cent over the last two years.

ZTE claimed its network equipment enabled global operators to reduce energy consumption by 10 billion kWh annually by using intelligent photovoltaic power generation, hydrogen fuel cells, liquid cooling, AI energy conservation and other advanced technologies.

The company joined SBTi in May 2023.