GSMA urges renewable energy reform in Asia Pacific

GSMA has called for wider access to renewable energy to help mobile operators in Asia Pacific cut emissions, arguing that energy market reform is needed across the region.

Its latest regional analysis found emissions are moving in different directions across Asia Pacific as demand for mobile services continues to rise. In emerging Asian markets, operator emissions have increased by more than 20% since 2019. In Japan and Oceania, operators have cut emissions by more than 30%.

Mobile data traffic in the region rose 350% between 2019 and 2024, while mobile connections increased 6%. Over the same period, operational emissions across Asia Pacific climbed 6%, reaching about 23 MtCO2e in 2024.

The figures point to a widening gap between markets with strong access to renewable electricity and those where procurement remains difficult. In Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, emissions rose about 20% as operators expanded networks to meet demand.

By contrast, mobile operators in Japan and Australia have reached renewable electricity shares of more than 50%. In Southeast Asia, operators matched only 4% of electricity consumption with renewables, while the figure in Malaysia was 5%.

Across the wider region, mobile operators purchased or generated 7 TWh of renewable electricity in 2024. That equalled about 15% of total electricity consumption, up from 1% in 2019, but still below the global average of 24%.

Rising energy use

Energy consumption and costs are becoming a bigger issue for the sector. Operators in Asia Pacific spent about USD $7 billion on energy in 2024, using 50 TWh of electricity and 350 million litres of diesel and gasoline.

These costs are significant for an industry that continues to add traffic and maintain large, distributed networks, especially mobile towers in markets where grid access and renewable supply options remain uneven. In some countries, off-site renewable procurement mechanisms are limited or still at an early stage. In others, high prices and a lack of products suited to telecom infrastructure have slowed adoption.

The report also found that climate targets are spreading across the industry. Twenty-one operators in Asia Pacific have validated near-term science-based targets, covering 55% of mobile connections in the region and about three-quarters of revenues. Thirteen operators have validated net-zero targets, covering 40% of connections, with the earliest set for 2040.

Some operators in Southeast Asia have made progress despite these constraints. Globe Telecom in the Philippines met a third of its electricity needs in 2025 with renewables, while Telekom Malaysia and True in Thailand each exceeded 20%.

Policy barriers

Policy reform will be central if these gains are to spread more widely. GSMA is urging governments to expand renewable energy procurement and aggregation mechanisms for distributed telecom loads, streamline permitting for clean energy and grids, reform electricity market design, and speed up coal phase-outs.

The organisation also wants mobile networks to be recognised as critical infrastructure in climate resilience planning, reflecting the region's exposure to climate-related disruption, including typhoons, floods, and sea level rise affecting low-lying coastal and island areas.

Another challenge lies beyond operators' direct energy use. Scope 3 emissions were estimated at about 110 MtCO2e in 2024, accounting for more than 80% of the mobile industry's overall footprint in Asia Pacific.

That increases pressure on suppliers and tower companies, many of which operate in the region, to improve climate disclosures, set science-based targets, and increase their use of clean energy. GSMA also pointed to the need for ecodesign and circularity in products as part of a broader reduction effort.

Steven Moore, Head of Climate Action at GSMA, said the core problem is now less about operator intent than access to cleaner electricity.

“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,” he said.

Moore added that the issue has become more urgent as both connectivity demand and energy needs continue to expand across the region.

“The region's growing demand for connectivity and energy makes this an urgent issue. Operators need access to renewable energy across the markets where they operate, including mechanisms that work for distributed infrastructure such as mobile towers. Policymakers play a critical role in creating the conditions for investment in renewable energy and modern grids. Expanding access to clean, reliable power will help the mobile industry reduce emissions, manage energy costs, and build more resilient networks,” he said.