Mobile operators across Asia Pacific are increasing their climate commitments, but limited access to renewable electricity is slowing progress towards net zero as connectivity demand and energy consumption continue to rise, according to a new report from the GSMA.
The Mobile Net Zero: Asia Pacific – Regional Focus on Climate Action 2026 report, launched in Kuala Lumpur on September 10, says operational emissions from the region’s mobile operators increased by 6% between 2019 and 2024, despite improvements in network efficiency and growing renewable-energy use.
The challenge is particularly pronounced in emerging Asian markets. The GSMA said emissions from operators in Southeast Asia increased by around 20% between 2019 and 2024, while operators in Japan and Oceania reduced emissions by more than 30% over the same period.
Renewable electricity use remains below global levels
Mobile operators across Asia Pacific purchased or generated approximately 7 TWh of renewable electricity in 2024, equivalent to around 15% of their total electricity consumption.
That represents a substantial increase from approximately 1% in 2019, but the region remains below the global average of 24%, according to the GSMA.
The gap is considerably wider compared with more advanced renewable-energy markets. Operators in Europe sourced around 70% of their electricity from renewables, while the corresponding figure for North America was approximately 50%.
Within Asia Pacific, renewable access also varies considerably. Operators in Japan and Australia have achieved renewable-energy shares of more than 50%, while the GSMA puts the figure at approximately 8% in South Asia and 4% in Southeast Asia.
Malaysia’s share stood at approximately 5%, according to the report.
Connectivity growth is increasing energy demand
The renewable-energy challenge is unfolding alongside rapid growth in mobile connectivity.
Between 2019 and 2024, mobile data traffic across Asia Pacific increased by 350%, while mobile connections grew by 6%, according to the GSMA.
The increase in demand has translated into higher energy requirements for networks and associated infrastructure. Regional mobile operators consumed approximately 50 TWh of electricity and 350 million litres of diesel and gasoline in 2024, with energy expenditure reaching around $7 billion.
The GSMA said energy is becoming a significant and growing operating cost for mobile companies, with costs expected to remain under pressure in 2026 amid the ongoing energy crisis.
For markets that remain dependent on imported fossil fuels, the organisation argues that renewable electricity can simultaneously address emissions, energy costs and energy-security concerns.
Renewable access varies across Southeast Asia
The report identifies renewable procurement as a particular challenge for operators in Southeast Asian markets.
Some companies have nevertheless made progress. Globe Telecom in the Philippines met around one-third of its electricity requirements with renewable energy in 2025, while Telekom Malaysia and True in Thailand each reached renewable shares above 20%, according to the GSMA.
However, the availability of mechanisms for purchasing renewable electricity away from an operator’s own facilities remains limited or is still developing in some markets.
The structure of telecommunications infrastructure presents an additional challenge. Mobile networks rely on large numbers of geographically dispersed sites, including towers, which can make conventional renewable procurement models less suitable.
The GSMA said high costs and limited options designed for distributed electricity loads remain barriers in some markets.
Climate commitments continue to expand
Despite the challenges, climate commitments across the mobile industry are becoming more widespread.
The GSMA reported that 21 mobile operators in Asia Pacific have validated near-term science-based targets. Together, these operators represent 55% of mobile connections and approximately three-quarters of industry revenues in the region.
A further 13 operators have validated net-zero targets covering around 40% of mobile connections, with the earliest targets aiming for 2040.
However, the GSMA argues that operators will need broader access to renewable electricity if they are to translate those commitments into sustained emissions reductions.
“Mobile operators across Asia Pacific are strengthening their climate commitments and investing in more efficient networks to meet growing demand. But progress on reducing emissions will be difficult without greater access to renewable electricity,” said Steven Moore, Head of Climate Action at the GSMA.
Moore said policymakers have a role in establishing renewable-energy procurement mechanisms that can serve distributed telecommunications infrastructure, while supporting investment in renewable generation and modern electricity grids.
Scope 3 emissions remain the largest challenge
The report also highlights the wider carbon footprint of the mobile industry beyond electricity consumed directly by network operators.
According to the GSMA, Scope 3 emissions reached approximately 110 MtCO2e in 2024, accounting for more than 80% of the mobile industry’s overall emissions footprint in Asia Pacific.
This places suppliers and tower companies at the centre of the industry’s wider decarbonisation challenge.
The GSMA is calling on suppliers and tower companies to improve climate-related disclosures, establish science-based emissions targets, increase clean-energy use and incorporate ecodesign and circularity into their products.
For operators themselves, the organisation recommends improving network energy efficiency, retiring legacy networks where possible and increasing renewable electricity consumption.
GSMA calls for electricity-market reform
The organisation is urging governments across Asia Pacific to make renewable electricity more accessible to telecommunications companies.
Its recommendations include creating renewable-energy procurement and aggregation mechanisms for distributed telecom loads, simplifying clean-energy and grid permitting and reforming electricity-market structures.
The GSMA also supports accelerating coal phase-outs and recognising mobile networks as critical infrastructure within climate-resilience planning.
These measures, it argues, could help operators access cleaner electricity while reducing exposure to energy-price volatility and improving the resilience of networks facing increasingly severe climate impacts.
Bioenergy Business Analysis
The GSMA’s findings show that renewable energy availability, rather than climate ambition alone, is becoming an important factor in the mobile industry’s decarbonisation trajectory across Asia Pacific. The contrast between markets with high renewable penetration and emerging markets with limited access demonstrates how electricity-market structures can directly influence corporate emissions performance.
For renewable energy developers, the telecommunications sector represents a large and geographically distributed electricity demand base. However, unlocking that demand will require procurement mechanisms that can accommodate distributed infrastructure such as mobile towers rather than relying exclusively on conventional large-scale power purchase arrangements.
The figures also highlight a broader energy-transition issue: electrification and digitalisation can increase electricity demand even as companies seek to reduce emissions. Expanding renewable generation, grid access and suitable procurement mechanisms will therefore be important not only for mobile operators’ net-zero targets but also for managing the energy costs and resilience of increasingly critical digital infrastructure.
The next challenge for policymakers and industry stakeholders will be converting climate commitments into practical access to renewable electricity across markets where clean-power procurement remains constrained.
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