Management & facts

Since 2016, we have reported on the ESG  KPI “Energy Intensity.” In contrast to the existing “Energy Consumption”, the new ESG KPI shows energy consumption in proportion to the transmitted data volumes. Using data volume as a reference parameter makes it possible to create a direct link to the performance of our networks.

Our ambition: decrease KPI

  Data assured by Deloitte. Data is partly based on estimates, assumptions and projections. 

The ESG KPI also takes into account total energy consumption for all energy sources – fuel, gas, district heating and electricity. The data volume is composed of the transmitted IP  data volumes (including Voice over IP, Internet, IP-TV).

a) The value for 2019 was corrected compared to the information published in the previous year's report. The subsequent correction results from late notifications for natural gas consumption at Magyar Telekom Hungary and T-Mobile Austria.

Since 2016, we have reported on the ESG  KPI “Energy Intensity.” In contrast to the existing “Energy Consumption,” the new ESG KPI shows energy consumption in proportion to the transmitted data volumes. Using data volume as a reference parameter makes it possible to create a direct link to the performance of our networks.

   Data assured by Deloitte. Data is partly based on estimates, assumptions and extrapolations.

The ESG KPI also takes into account total energy consumption for all energy sources – fuel, gas, district heating and electricity. The data volume is composed of the transported IP  data volumes (including IP telephone, internet, IP-TV).

Total energy consumption increased by 0.5 percent year over year.

Data verified by Deloitte. Data is partly based on estimates, assumptions and projections. Some of the data originates from external service providers.

We are reducing the carbon emissions of our data centers by optimizing energy consumption and improving processes at the individual data center sites. The Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) metric serves as one indicator for energy-efficiency enhancements in our data centers. We determine this metric using the method recommended by the standard EN50600 for data centers, which has to take the total energy consumed by data centers into account – and not only that used to operate the servers. The PUE factor  is calculated using the ratio between the total electrical energy consumed by the data center and the amount of electrical energy consumed by IT.

In 2022, the average global PUE score for our T-Systems data centers was 1.59. For our data centers in Germany, we reduced the PUE from 1.85 in 2008 to 1.5 in 2022; this value is significantly below the average for all data centers in Germany, which is around 1.8. Our most-efficient high-availability data center has a PUE of 1.3. This will allow us to compensate, in part, for increases in IT systems’ energy requirements as a result of growing volumes of data. Energy consumption is also reduced relative to the increasing processing power of the IT systems as a result of the positive effect on energy efficiency and, by extension, the PUE score. The energy needs of our T-Systems data centers are met entirely from renewable sources.

Data centers are becoming more energy-efficient
As part of the DC11@2018 program, we worked until the end of 2018 to combine data center capacity worldwide in FMO (future mode of operation) data centers with the latest IT technology and hence improved energy efficiency. Physical data center consolidation (reducing data center space and sites) was combined with logical consolidation (virtualizing IT infrastructure ). Within the scope of the physical consolidation, we decommissioned several old data centers in Germany.

The follow-up program “Data Center Next” was launched in 2019. Our aim is to further homogenize and virtualize the IT landscape, and to optimize utilization of the data center infrastructure according to IT requirements. The Data Center Next program is making use of efficiency-enhancing options, such as selective cooling of individual areas, and temperature increases within allowed ranges – always in conformance with defined thresholds. With such efforts, we plan to achieve efficiency improvements across the board.

A majority of our high-availability, modern internal FMO twin-core data centers were included in the EU Code of Conduct on Data Centre Energy Efficiency (EU CoC) at the end of 2020. We therefore meet, to a large extent, one of the criteria of the European regulation for sustainable business (EU Taxonomy). At the same time, we are working to further optimize energy efficiency in all data centers.

The European Union (EU) introduced the EU Code of Conduct on Data Centre Energy Efficiency in 2008. Its goal is to motivate operators and owners of data centers to reduce energy consumption and hence its negative impact on the environment, the economy, and energy supply security. Companies can join this voluntary initiative, which T-Systems did in 2014. The related EU Commission page provides transparent, detailed information about the participation of individual data centers.

We currently operate a total of 16 FMO twin-core data centers in Europe at eight FMO twin-core sites – eight internally and eight externally – in addition to four local customer-specific data centers. Six of our eight internal European FMO twin-core data centers, and one external FMO twin-core data center, have been included in the EU Code of Conduct list since 2021. The seventh internal European FMO twin-core data center is set to be added to the list in 2023. By taking part in the EU Code of Conduct, T-Systems meets an important criterion for achievement of Taxonomy-conformity under the regulatory initiative for sustainable business activities (EU Taxonomy ). More information about our commitment within the framework of the EU Taxonomy is available here.