Sprint announced an ambitious goal to reduce its total
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 15 percent by 2017, along with a set of
environmental priorities, as part of its expanded environmental program.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will recognize Sprint as a "GHG
Reduction Goal Setter" during the 2008 Climate
Leaders Conference Oct. 6-Oct. 8 in Chicago.Sprint announced an ambitious goal to reduce its total
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 15 percent by 2017, along with a set of
environmental priorities, as part of its expanded environmental program.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will recognize Sprint as a "GHG
Reduction Goal Setter" during the 2008 Climate
Leaders Conference Oct. 6-Oct. 8 in Chicago.
Climate Leaders is an EPA industry-government partnership that works
with companies to develop comprehensive climate change strategies.
Partner companies commit to reducing their impact on the global
environment by completing a corporate-wide inventory of their greenhouse
gas emissions based on a quality management system, setting aggressive
reduction goals, and annually reporting their progress to the EPA.
Through program participation, companies create a credible record of
their accomplishments and receive EPA recognition as corporate
environmental leaders. Sprint became the first and only wireless telecom
company in this partnership when it joined the EPA Climate Leaders
Program in 2007.
Sprint's efforts to further reduce its GHG
emissions will be two-fold: Reducing overall energy demand, and
increasing the use of renewable energy by having at least 10 percent of
the company's energy come from renewable
sources by 2017. Efforts are already underway to achieve these goals: In
addition to using and experimenting with renewable energy in its
networks, approximately 75 percent of the power for Sprint's
200-acre Overland Park, Kan., campus is sourced from a Spearville, Kan.,
wind farm.
Sprint's environmental program
Sprint's GHG reduction target is just one
element of its ongoing environmental program. Sprint takes its corporate
social responsibility seriously, and has established six environmental
priorities:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Minimize waste and reduce use of natural resources
- Promote an environmentally-sound supply chain
- Reduce the environmental impact of Sprint products and services
- Promote and support environmental stewardship by Sprint employees
- Continue to comply with environmental regulations
Sprint has adopted robust measures and goals to support each of these
priorities, which together compose Sprint's
environmental sustainability program. In addition to its GHG-reduction
goal, these 10-year goals include increasing its wireless recycling
take-back rates to 90 percent and increasing supplier compliance with
Sprint's environmental requirements to 90
percent.
"Sprint and its environmental commitments are
here for the long term," said Ralph Reid,
Sprint vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility. "Our
company is much more than the products and services it sells. The effect
a company has on the environment, the people and the communities it
serves reflects its dedication to being not only a great business -
but to being a great corporate citizen."
Greening Sprint's network
One of the key areas which Sprint will be targeting to reduce GHG
emissions is through its mobile networks and the energy associated with
operating them. Sprint has already taken significant steps to reduce its
energy use and to incorporate alternative energy sources. It will be
taking these efforts further, both by moving forward with steps to
achieve its GHG reduction target and by examining all network design and
procurement processes, to ensure energy use and environmental impact are
key considerations.
Sprint is currently a leader in hydrogen fuel cell deployment within the
U.S. communications arena, with more than 250 hydrogen fuel cells in its
core network - and with more planned. In
addition, Sprint's XOHM network, launched in
Baltimore in September, was designed to be green, relying on hydrogen
fuel cells as the primary backup power source. Cleaner and quieter than
traditional backup power sources, the only by-products of hydrogen fuel
cells are emissions-free: water and heat.
Reducing e-waste
Sprint continues to lead in wireless recycling rates, and plans to
significantly increase those rates through its two wireless recycling
programs, Sprint Project Connect and Sprint Buyback. The company's
current recycling and reuse rate is about 16 percent. These two programs
alone have already kept more than 13 million wireless phones out of the
waste stream while generating more than $5 million in charitable
contributions.
Sprint has committed to increase that rate to 90 percent of the devices
it sells by 2017. It plans to expand these recycling programs and to
increase its customers' participation in
phone take-back efforts. All wireless phones recycled are either
refurbished and resold or recycled, with 100 percent of the net proceeds
of Project Connect directed toward keeping kids safer online through
Sprint's 4NetSafetySM
program - www.4netsafety.com
- in partnership with the National Center for
Missing & Exploited Children®,
the NEA Health Information Network®,
and others. For more information, visit www.Sprint.com/recycle.
Sprint is also working toward expanding its "green"
choices for its customers, both consumers and businesses. For example,
the packaging for Sprint's green RumorTM
by LG is the first device from Sprint and LG to use environmentally
friendly packaging. The non-bleached, recyclable box is approximately 70
percent post-consumer content, and has an eco-friendly aqueous coating.
Sprint will continue to offer a portfolio of products, services and
packaging that allow its customers to make greener choices in their own
lives and businesses.