Sustainability and social responsibility have been firm components of our corporate activities for more than two decades. We see ourselves as a responsible company and have enshrined this in our Group strategy. As such, we are committed to implementing sustainability along our value chain – and to playing an important role in meeting today’s environmental, economic, and social challenges.
You can find additional information on our Group strategy in the 2023 Annual Report.
Our CR (Corporate Responsibility) strategy is derived from the Group strategy. It focuses on four key areas as well as good corporate governance in which we want to act as a role model:
All strategic pillars must be based on sound governance, which for us encompasses a whole range of very different but equally important issues:
Our investments in the network build-out make us one of the biggest investors in the industry. In 2023, we invested more than EUR 16 billion Group-wide, primarily in building and operating networks to meet the growing demand for faster, full-coverage data services. However, the network build-out is not to lead to an increase in CO2 emissions and thus accelerate climate change. For this reason, we use energy from renewable sources to decouple CO2 emissions from energy consumption. In Europe, we have set ourselves the goal of doubling the energy efficiency of our networks by the end of 2024. Above and beyond this, we want to further increase energy efficiency – for instance at our data centers – and thus reduce energy consumption in the medium term despite the expected rise in data consumption (2024 against 2020, goal excludes T‑Mobile US). The two non-financial performance indicators “energy consumption” and “CO2 emissions” (Scope 1 and 2) were incorporated into the variable component of our Board of Management’s remuneration in 2021, and in 2022 were also made relevant for our international executives (excluding T‑Mobile US), as well as all employees in Germany not covered by collective agreements.
In the United States, we are forging ahead with the highly intensive build-out of our 5G network, in particular in rural areas. This initially drives up power consumption. T‑Mobile US, like the Group as a whole, has covered 100 percent of its electricity requirements from renewable energy sources since 2021. There are fluctuations in T‑Mobile US’ Scope 1 carbon footprint owing to unforeseeable natural disasters and the associated temporary use of equipment such as diesel generators to restore and back up damaged network infrastructure. Consideration must be given to the special national situation in this key market, which is why the decision was taken not to include T‑Mobile US in these two non-financial performance indicators in respect of short-term variable remuneration. This step ensures that the right incentives are set for the Board of Management, executives, and all employees in Germany not covered by collective agreements toward the sustainable development of the business, while at the same time safeguarding the stability of network operations.
The annual ambition for the performance indicators “energy consumption” and “CO2 emissions” (Scope 1 and 2) will continue to be set, managed, and reported for the entire Group as before, including a target value for T‑Mobile US. Energy consumption for the Group as a whole in the reporting year was down slightly year-on-year at 12 241 GWh (prior year: 13 253 GWh). Due in particular to the Group-wide use of electricity from renewable energy sources, CO2 emissions (Scope 1 and 2) are at a low level and dropped further as a result of our measures to 217 kt CO2e (prior year: 233 kt CO2e). The values given for total energy consumption and Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are based in part on estimates, assumptions, and extrapolations, and, in part, on data provided by our external energy service providers.
Day in and day out, we see our world changing, at ever-faster rates. Computers, smartphones, and artificial intelligence (AI) now play indispensable roles in our daily lives. Most of the time, they help us without our even noticing their operation. All of this is the beginning of a development that we can no longer stop – and that we don’t want to stop. All enthusiasm notwithstanding, however, we shouldn’t head into the digital future blindly. As we move forward, we should seek to define a clear direction and a binding framework for that future. We at Deutsche Telekom are working to bring about digitalization oriented toward people and values. “Corporate digital responsibility” (CDR) refers to efforts to manage the opportunities and risks of the digital transformation responsibly. The goals of our CDR activities are twofold: to prevent negative impacts, and to help shape the digitalization process in a positive way.
Throughout our CDR work, we take great care to ensure that all processing of our customers’ personal data is carried out transparently and responsibly, in ways that also safeguard individual customers’ privacy and security. Further information about this area is available in our publications on data privacy, in our status report on data privacy, and in our transparency report. Also, in our Digital Ethics Guidelines on AI, we describe our responsible use of AI in connection with our products and services.
Digital participation is a core aspect of our commitment. We are working to ensure that all people have equal opportunity to be a part of the digital society. Our focuses in this regard include the technical aspects of broadband access, rates and devices that are affordable for all budgets, and users’ ability and desire to use digital media competently. For example, we carry out a variety of projects and implement measures to promote media literacy and democracy skills among the population.
Upholding of human rights is a key element of responsible digitalization. We strive always to protect and respect human rights in regard to the responsibilities that emerge as a result of technological change and the digital transformation. Our objective is for our technology to be implemented on the basis of humanitarian values. We have also anchored the principle of digital responsibility and participation in our Code of Human Rights, which we updated in 2023. This code applies not only to our company, but also to our business partners – and to our approximately 20 000 suppliers in over 150 countries. We expressly require our suppliers to join us in our responsibility, with a view to ensuring that human rights are also respected within the sphere of influence that we have outside of our Group.
Digital responsibility 
is also highly important with regard to environmental and climate-protection issues. By developing products that are innovative and sustainable, we help our customers reduce their own carbon footprints – and thereby contribute to climate protection. In addition, to help our customers find sustainable solutions, we highlight products and services that are environmentally and climate friendly. We do this with our TÜV-verified #GreenMagenta Label (for products and services) and our Eco Rating scheme (for mobile devices). Our “Smart Innovations” also contribute to society’s efforts to improve its ecological balance.
Digitalization is opening up new ways and possibilities for working. We are helping to shape the digital transformation in the workplace, in a responsible manner, and we are continuing to support our employees in addressing the challenges the transformation has brought. We are reinforcing our employees’ digital skills with a range of measures, including the WeLearn training initiative and the Percipio and “Learning from experts” (LEX) training packages. In addition, in close consultation with our Group Works Council, we have adopted a “Manifesto on Agile Working,” a set of guidelines for the digital workplace.
Our definition of digital responsibility
Technological development must be based on values. We see ourselves as having a responsibility to implement ethics within technologies and to make technologies accessible to everyone. In 2022, we published our Corporate Digital Responsibility@Deutsche Telekom framework, which summarizes our views of digital responsibility. We make people the priority. The centerpiece of the framework is our House of Digital Responsibility, which is all about people-centric technology.
Our CDR framework and our House of Digital Responsibility are both based on our guiding principles. The foundation of this basis is the commitment to act in accordance with laws and regulations, with human rights, and with basic values such as cultural values. Conceptually, we place a number of key areas on this foundation – digital ethics, digital participation, the future of work, and climate protection and resources conservation. These key areas serve as orientational aids for our activities. The foundation and all of these areas, in turn, are housed under the umbrella of principles that constantly guide our efforts, namely data privacy and security, and transparency and dialog.
Outside of our own corporate sphere, our efforts and commitments in this area include active involvement in various alliances and partnerships, such as the BVDW (German Association for the Digital Economy), econsense, a network of internationally operating companies, and the Charta für digitale Vernetzung (Digital networking charter; only available in German). In addition, we are a member of the Corporate Digital Responsibility initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Justice. In 2021, we signed the Initiative’s CDR Codex, thereby committing ourselves to observe a set of concrete principles and to regularly publish a relevant progress report. We published this report for the reporting year in July 2023.
Our CR controlling ensures that we can collect ESG data and KPIs transparently, and in a timely manner, and report them in the “Management & Facts” section and the interactive KPI tool of this CR report.
We record ESG data as part of our CR controlling and reporting activities. We use this data to calculate our ESG KPIs, which we use to measure and manage our CR performance. The non-financial performance indicators “energy consumption” and “CO2 emissions” (Scope 1 and 2) that are relevant for remuneration are essential elements of the Group’s higher-level controlling processes. This also applies to other ESG KPIs, such as the Energy Intensity ESG KPI and the Sustainable Packaging and Return of Devices circular economy KPIs. Alongside the ESG KPIs, we also report other metrics and data with the aim of meeting internal and external transparency requirements.
In addition, we have developed an impact assessment method that allows us to measure and evaluate the environmental and social impact of selected products, solutions, and measures along the value chain. This helps us to keep our key sustainability activities results-oriented, to provide transparent reporting on them, and to demonstrate how our business activities are contributing to the achievement of the SDGs , for example.
We have been integrating our ESG data process incrementally in our ICS (internal control system) since 2021. This was initially comprised of specific ICS principles aimed at achieving a high level of data quality, timeliness, and transparency. These principles cover decentralized, system-based ESG data processes that are aggregated at the Group level. In as early as 2022, we supplemented the ICS principles with more demanding transaction-level controls for the remuneration-relevant KPIs. These transaction-level controls are reviewed internally and, in some cases, externally.
We are continuously improving our performance indicator system on the basis of internal and external requirements. We have added additional KPIs for the areas of resource conservation and circular economy since 2021, so we can coordinate and communicate our progress in this strategic area even more precisely. Trends in the ESG KPIs over the past four years can be seen here. In the reporting year, KPIs in the interactive benchmarking tool were, for the first time, broken down into the following segments: Germany, United States, Europe, Systems Solutions, Group Headquarters & Group Services, Group Development, and Technology and Innovation.
ESG KPIs (key performance indicators) are used as management tools for our CR activities. Since they are highly relevant, we also publish them in the combined non-financial statement of our annual report.
The segments assist in the collection of Group-wide ESG KPIs by recording CR data themselves. They and their national companies represent 99 percent of the Group’s revenue.
For the purpose of integrated financial and sustainability reporting, the KPIs map all six types of capital (see diagram).
Positive development 
Insignificant development 
Negative development 
Development of our ESG KPIs without a specific goal
Development of our ESG KPIs in relation to set targets
ESG KPI “ESG KPI Socially Responsible Investment (SRI)” (% T-Shares , held by SRI investors)
We refined the methodology in the reporting year and have switched to monitoring sustainably managed shares at fund level and no longer at an institutional level. For better comparability with other companies, the total number of shares given pertains to the number of Deutsche Telekom shares in free float.
ESG KPI “Procurement Volume Without CR Risk” (% of procurement volume from audited direct business partners)
ESG KPI “Sustainability Revenue Quota” (% of revenue with products and services that offer sustainability benefits)
ESG KPI “Enablement Faktor” (The ratio of CO2 savings facilitated by the use of our products and services, to the CO2 emissions from our own business activities (Scope 1-3))
ESG KPI “CDP Supply Chain Program” (% of coverage of purchasing volume from suppliers from the Supply Chain Program)
ESG KPI “Ratio E-Waste Recycling” (Ratio of e-waste recycled (Thermal Recycling and other Recycling / Reuse / Refurbished) in percent)
ESG KPI “Community Contribution” (Deutsche Telekom's financial, personnel and in-kind commitment measured in EUR million)
ESG KPI “Beneficiaries - Focus topics” (Number of people involved and reached who participate in Deutsche Telekom's social initiatives in millions.)
ESG KPI “Employee identification with CR commitment” (Employee identification with Deutsche Telekom's CR commitment in %, Basis: Survey 2021)
Through our interactive benchmarking tool important facts and figures of our national companies can be analysed and compared.
Our website presents a description of our business activities, and our 2023 Annual Report includes detailed information about the development of our business.
Our Group is structured into five operating segments and the Group Headquarters & Group Services segment. Our Technology and Innovation Board of Management department also unites the cross-segment technology, innovation, IT, and security functions of our Germany, Europe, and Systems Solutions segments. All segments are broken down individually in the interactive benchmarking tool. The following four operating segments make the biggest contribution to the development of sustainability in the Group and are therefore also addressed in separate sections of the report.
Our Germany operating segment comprises all fixed-network and mobile business activities for consumers and business customers, including separate sales entities in Germany to allow a customer-centric sales approach. As a pioneer of digitalization, the segment offers a tailored service and product portfolio that is designed to be innovative while at the same time secure and simple. The bundling of our sales and service business within Sales & Service places a further focus on customer experience and on customer satisfaction. The Wholesale business delivers wholesale telecommunication services for third-party telecommunications companies. The build-out of the mobile and fixed networks in Germany is managed by the Technology business unit.
Our United States operating segment combines all mobile activities in the U.S. market. T Mobile US provides service, devices, and accessories across its flagship brands. In addition, it sells devices to dealers and other third-party distributors for resale. It provides wireless communications services through a variety of service plan options to U.S. domestic customers, including plans marketed to businesses. T Mobile US also offers a wide selection of wireless devices, including smartphones, wearables, tablets, home broadband routers, and other mobile communication devices that are manufactured by various suppliers. In addition to its wireless communications services, it offers High Speed Internet utilizing its nationwide 5G network. It also provides products that are complementary to its wireless communications services, including device protection and wireline communication services. On May 1, 2023, T Mobile US closed the sale of its Wireline Business.
Our Europe operating segment comprises all fixed-network and mobile operations of the national companies in Greece, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Austria, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. In these countries, we are an integrated provider of telecommunications services. In Romania, our focus is on mobile communications. Besides traditional B2C fixed-network and mobile business, most of our national companies also offer ICT solutions for business customers.
Our Systems Solutions operating segment offers B2B IT services in the core market of Western Europe under the T Systems brand. T Systems primarily addresses the IT growth areas of advisory, cloud services, and digitalization with a corresponding portfolio of products and solutions. We consider data sovereignty and security solutions to be the most attractive growth areas in the IT market, which is why we include them as integral components of our portfolio, enhanced by strategic partnerships. The services penetrate deep into the value chains of selected industries (automotive, healthcare, public sector, and transportation). As part of our transformation program, we have been working since 2018 to realign both our organization and our workflows, and make adjustments to our capacities. We now comprise four portfolio areas: Cloud, Digital, Security (in close collaboration with Deutsche Telekom Security), and Advisory (together with Detecon as an advisory partner). In addition, our Road User Services business unit offers road toll systems.
We are convinced that commercial, social, and ecological aspects can complement each other. We aim to make a positive contribution to sustainable development throughout our entire value chain.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
Is regularly informed regarding the ESG strategy, its implementation and its key performance indicators
Approves Group-wide ESG regulations and strategies, and is regularly informed, by the business areas, regarding the status of such regulations and strategies, regarding progress in implementation of the overall ESG strategy, and regarding the status of individual goals and pertinent measures
Central competence center for strategy, strategic policies and projects, specialist and procedural advising, external reporting, and stakeholder management
Responsible for implementation of strategy, specifications, and goals within the relevant segments; report on such implementation to the Group Board of Management; and flesh out the CR strategy in keeping with business requirements
The central contact person, with regard to CR issues, within the relevant segment. The CR segment lead adapts the company’s CR strategy to the segment’s requirements and coordinates CR-related activities within the segment.
The area, within a segment, that is responsible for the timely provision of all of the segment’s CR-related data. This includes provision of CR data of subsidiaries. To that end, this CR Controlling area communicates regularly with the CR data controllers at the subsidiaries.
Responsible for implementation of strategy, instructions, and targets within their own legal entities. In this connection, they report to their own segments and carry out CR governance in keeping with business requirements.
The central contact person, with regard to CR issues, within the relevant legal entity. The CR manager adapts the company’s CR strategy to the legal entity’s requirements and coordinates CR-related activities within the legal entity.
Collects and consolidates the data required for the legal entity’s quantitative KPIs, and reports the data to the legal entity’s segment.
CR Controlling is responsible for the operational controlling of quantitative targets and KPIs across the various levels of the Group and for integrating this into established processes. CR Controlling is supported by shared services with Deutsche Telekom Services Europe (DTSE), to collect and consolidate ESG KPIs across the Group and ensure that the data collected is complete and of high quality.
The departments are responsible for embedding sustainability in their own topics and tasks and for reporting on this in accordance with the requirements for reporting, ratings and rankings. Depending on the scope of the tasks, roles similar to a CR manager/CR controller can be defined.
Group-wide body that advises on CR-strategy development, consults with regard to Group-wide positions, and coordinates implementation of the CR strategy in the Group units
A body that manages data acquisition and reporting processes involving GCR, Controlling and contracted service providers – especially service providers contracted by DTSE
Group-wide platform for all staff responsible for CR in segments, legal entities, and functions, for the purposes of sharing know-how and experience and ensuring information is passed on quickly and directly
Overall responsibility for Corporate Responsibility (CR) lies with our Board of Management, which deliberates and decides on the key strategic guidance and objectives. The Supervisory Board advises and oversees the Board of Management in this task. The Group Corporate Responsibility (GCR) department develops Group-wide policies and guidelines with the goal of steadily advancing the corporate culture with regard to sustainable innovation, environmentally friendly business practices, and social responsibility. Since 2022, the Chair of the Board of Management has been responsible for GCR. By allocating responsibility in this way and incorporating ESG targets into Board of Management remuneration in 2021, the Supervisory Board and Board of Management highlighted the great importance that Corporate Responsibility has for our Group. CR controlling provides support through shared services with Deutsche Telekom Services Europe (DTSE) in consolidating ESG data and key figures comprehensively and integrating them centrally into the financial and management systems. The Board of Management is informed every quarter about the status of the most important sustainability KPIs in the Group Performance Report. The Supervisory Board is also regularly updated by GCR about the sustainability strategy and the progress that has been made in implementing it. Furthermore, a training workshop on the role of the Supervisory Board as part of new sustainability requirements was held in 2023. In the year under review, the members of the Board of Management discussed sustainability indicators and decided on the future development of individual topics in a variety of dialog formats. Additionally, the Global CR Board was realigned in the reporting year as a Group-wide committee and preparatory body for the Board of Management.
The different Group business units and segments are responsible for implementing the CR strategy. In 2023, the same kind of company management structure as is used in the headquarters was established in the segments. Overarching responsibility for a segment now lies with the segment management team. This management team delegates the tasks of adapting content and managing implementation in relation to the Group sustainability strategy to CR segment leads. The CR segment controller helps to develop the processes for recording, consolidating, and analyzing the ESG KPIs and helps to shape the management measures based on these KPIs. These functions supplement and reinforce the existing network of CR managers in the Group’s legal entities. To coordinate their tasks and learn from each other, CR managers and employees from CR-relevant functions across the Group collaborate in an international network under the leadership of GCR. During the year under review, this network included employees from around 52 companies in 29 different countries. Participants can exchange ideas and experience in relation to best practices and undertake training in the form of themed deep dives. The first in-person network meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic was held in 2023 and addressed focal points of the strategic roadmap for the current year. The roadmap includes switching the fleets over to electromobility, tackling challenges associated with Scope 3 emissions , enhancing the coordination of social commitment on an international level, implementing the Design for All project, and preparing for CSRD-compliant reporting from reporting year 2024.
Our CR Policy provides the formal, mandatory framework for the sustainability management activities at all Group units at a global level. In 2022, in a move designed to further shore up the implementation of our CR ambitions throughout the organization, we extensively developed the CR Policy that has been in place since 2017. Following its approval by the Board of Management in February 2023, we launched a process to enforce the updated version throughout the Group. At the end of 2023, the CR Policy had been enforced at 75 of 135 Group companies; the rollout will be continued in 2024. The CR managers in the individual segments and legal units are involved in the ratification of the CR Policy in the Group’s subsidiaries. As soon as the CR Policy has been adopted in a legal entitity, that entity appoints its own official CR manager and CR controller. If specific obstacles to implementation become apparent – due to local legal requirements, for example – we work with the relevant individuals at the units affected who are responsible for making decisions and who are involved in the process to develop a solution that satisfies the strategic key statements of the Policy. We agree a timeframe for implementation with them. If a solution is not implemented within the agreed timeframe, dialog is sought with the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom as the final escalation and decision-making level at which the functions concerned can set out their arguments and the state of affairs accordingly.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
T-Mobile’s network technology positively impacts the way society lives, works, learns, and engages with the world. That’s why, when it comes to corporate responsibility, the segment’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG ) approach is guided by the aspiration to create a connected world where everyone can thrive.
The ongoing commitment of T-Mobile US is fundamental to responsible business practices that promote integrity, responsibility, and transparency – while never losing sight of the opportunity to leverage its technology, scale and resources to be a force for good.
Continuously investing in responsible business practices underpins our ESG approach at T-Mobile US. That means being uncompromising in its ethical code and upholding strong corporate governance policies and practices that help everyone at T-Mobile US build and retain the trust of customers, employees, and the communities served. The segment’s Code of Business Conduct provides clear expectations on workplace conduct standards and legal guidelines. Training is carried out throughout the year and all employees and officers must participate. This annual training includes topics, such as Data Security and Privacy, Anti-Corruption, Harassment and Discrimination, and Non-Retaliation, among others.
The CR program is where we define targets and report on progress regarding their implementation. In the reporting year, we once again aligned the CR program in accordance with the four pillars of our Management & Facts section – Strategy, Economy, Environment, and Social.
| Objectives | Target achievement | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Increase relevance of sustainability within the company | Since 2022, responsibility for CR topics has rested with the Group Board of Management. We have also integrated the segment-based approach more consistently into the CR strategy and reporting, and given more responsibility to the segments. | |
| Enable employees to contribute to sustainability | A training workshop on the role of the Supervisory Board as part of new sustainability requirements was held in 2023. Training is also being offered for employees on specific issues such as human rights and compliance. | Current organizational structure Measures to strengthen our corporate culture |
| Further development of the CR Policy | Revision in 2022. By the end of 2023, the CR Policy | |
| Publication of the company’s “Corporate Digital Responsibility” report | Publication of the Communication on Progress, in July 2023 | |
| Contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals | Focus on 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 | Our contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals |
| Reporting in accordance with the 2021 GRI Standards | In the year under review, the CR Report was prepared in accordance with the 2021 GRI Standards. | |
| Reporting in accordance with the standards of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) | Preparation of an SASB index with links to relevant report content | |
| Further development of the materiality analysis | Extension of the CSRD-related materiality review of the value chain to cover the geographical and social perspectives by incorporating four national companies | |
| Improvement of processes for protecting human rights | Implementation of the risk analysis in accordance with the requirements of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, revision of the human rights policy statement and its publication | |
| Exemplary CR reporting | ESG | Awards for our commitment to sustainability and our reporting |
| Objectives | Target achievement | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| We aim to have 60 percent of our procurement volume be verified as “uncritical” by 2025 | 66.17 percent in 2023 | |
| 95 percent of our procurement volume should be without an identified CR risk by 2025 | 99.98 percent of procurement volume in 2023 | |
| Extension of 5G coverage |
| Germany segment: progress with network build-out |
| Increase Group-wide customer retention (measured using TRI*M | As of the end of 2023, the Group score (not including T‑Mobile US) was 76.2 points (prior year: 76.0 points). | |
| Obtain relevant service awards | This was achieved. The awards included the TÜV quality seal; the “Service King” distinction awarded by the trade magazine “Focus Money”; “best mobile-network hotline” in “connect” magazine’s 2023 hotline test; and “best mobile communications shop” according to “connect” and “CHIP” magazines. | |
| Integration of requirements from EU Taxonomy | Fulfillment of the EU Taxonomy | |
| Ensure inclusion in relevant sustainability indices | Listing in key sustainability indices |
| Objectives | Target achievement | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Decrease Group-wide Scope 1 and 2 emissions | A reduction of 95 percent since 2017, and of 7 percent in comparison to the prior year, to a level of about 217 t CO2e The key elements of the strategy for offsetting measures were defined in the reporting year. | Our climate targets |
| Reduce CO2 emissions (Scopes 1 to 3) by 55 percent with respect to their level in 2020 | Total emissions in 2023: 10 693 kt CO2e The target was validated in the reporting year by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). | Our climate targets 4-year trend: total CO2e emissions (Scope 3) in the DT Group |
| Achieve climate neutrality by no later than 2040 (Scopes 1, 2 and 3) | Total emissions in 2023: 10 693 kt CO2e The target was validated in the reporting year by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). | Our climate targets |
| Ensure steps on the journey to climate neutrality are more concrete throughout the entire value chain | Creation of a climate transition plan with concrete measures for reducing Scope 1, 2, and 3 CO2 emissions. | Climate Target Transition Plan: our journey towards net zero |
| We are working hard to increase the share of electricity procured through power purchase agreements (PPAs | As of the end of 2023, 16 percent of the power we used in Germany and Europe was procured via PPAs. | |
| Improvement of the efficiency of our data centers; use of climate-neutral company data centers and externally operated data centers (pursuant to the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact) by 2030 | Global power usage effectiveness (PUE PUE value for Germany in 2023: 1.52 (2022: 1.50) Our most-efficient high-availability data center has a PUE of 1.24. | ESG KPI “PUE”: lower CO2 consumption in data centers |
| Raise the profile and boost the impact of the Green Pioneers community | Training on environmental issues for colleagues, with more than 2 100 participants Five-year anniversary of the initiative: Green Pioneers Day is held to develop new ideas and objectives for the coming years | Green Pioneers in Germany |
| Reduction of CO2 emissions tied to customers’ use of our products and solutions; in particular, reduction of those emissions’ share of our own total emissions | Increase of our enablement factor in Germany to 4.78 (2022: 3.76); throughout Europe to 3.6 (2022: 2.6). | ESG KPI “Enablement Factor” in the DT Group in Germany |
| Stabilization of our energy consumption by 2024, via doubling of our energy efficiency in Europe (the ratio of network data traffic to the electricity required to move it), in spite of continued strong data-traffic growth and our ongoing network expansion | Energy consumption in 2023: 12.2 million MWh (2022: 13.3 million MWh) | |
| Linking of Board of Management remuneration to reductions of the company’s CO2 emissions and energy consumption | In the reporting year, energy consumption dropped slightly and CO2 emissions were reduced. In addition, the two ESG KPIs were integrated within the remuneration system for executives in Germany and Europe as well as for employees not covered by collective agreements in Germany. | Sustainability targets in remuneration |
| Through 2024, our Europe segment plan to collect one million used mobile devices and keep them in the circular economy by refurbishing or recycling them. | 2023: Approx. 273 000 devices | Our approach to circular economy |
| We are aiming to ensure that, by 2024, none of the electronic waste produced and no used devices that are collected in the Europe operating segment, such as smartphones, routers or laptops, end up in landfills without undergoing recycling processes, but will be disposed of properly or recycled, as is already the case in Germany. | We achieved this goal by the end of 2022 and are planning to roll out implementation to T‑Mobile US and T‑Systems in future. | |
| By 2030, we intend to ensure that almost all of the products we bring into circulation can be returned to the circular ecosystem. | Returns quota for mobile and fixed-network devices: 28 percent | |
| We aim to ensure that, by the end of 2024, sustainable product packaging has been adopted for over 90 percent of all of the smartphones Deutsche Telekom sells in Europe. | As of the end of 2023, 100 percent of all smartphones sold by Deutsche Telekom in the EU were sold in sustainable packaging. |
| Objectives | Target achievement | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Increase the proportion of women on the Supervisory Board and in top positions in middle and upper management to 30 percent by 2025 | Total workforce: 35.7 percent women Middle / upper management: 27.9 percent Board of Management of DTAG: 37.5 percent Supervisory Board (in Germany): 47.3 percent Supervisory Board , international (European fully consolidated international companies): 38.9 percent | Our approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion |
| Maintain the Group-wide (national) high health rate of 95 percent | 2023: Including long-term illnesses: 94.3 percent (2022: 93.8 percent) | |
| Reduce the accident rate in Germany | Accident rate for accidents leading to more than three missed days of work, in 2023: 5.2 accidents per thousand employees (2022: 5.5) | |
| Boost digital skills development | Digital learning rate (share of learning hours completed as online learning, Group-wide without TMUS) 2023: 73 percent (2022: 79 percent) 88 percent of the training courses available on a Group-wide basis were available online (without T-Mobile US) (2022: 85 percent) | Our approach to training and development |
| Increase in the proportion of digital experts | 2023: 22.0 percent digital experts (Group-wide without TMUS) (2022: 19.7 percent) | |
| Improve employee satisfaction | Engagement score in November 2023 (pulse survey, Group-wide without TMUS): 76 points (2022: 78 points) We last conducted the employee survey every two years. | Our employee survey |
Corporate responsibility (CR) is based on shared values. Our fundamental values are set out in binding Guiding Principles. We have made these Principles part of the everyday work of our employees through a variety of measures, such as reviews, updates, and our annual “Living Culture Day.” And the measures have been successful. According to our pulse survey to determine employee satisfaction in November 2023, 80 percent of our employees agree that the Guiding Principles are actually being applied to our everyday work (prior year: 80 percent). The corresponding agreement figure among our executive staff was even higher, at 85 percent.
We want to ensure that everyone in our Group and with our partner companies knows how to act responsibly and respect human rights. Our Code of Conduct, our Code of Human Rights, and our Supplier Code of Conduct all serve this purpose. The Codes also serve as the basis for our compliance management system, which guarantees that our business activities are in compliance with laws and regulations.
Our integrated management system for Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE ) contributes at Group level to making sustainability a component of all our business processes and of our employees’ everyday lives.
It helps us to systematically plan, implement, and improve our HSE processes. This promotes the health of our employees and also has a positive effect on their performance. It also helps us to bid on new projects in which potential commercial customers require their suppliers to provide HSE certificates.
Our Group-level HSE management system is covered by an umbrella certificate based on the international standards ISO 45001 (formerly OHSAS 18001) for occupational health and safety and ISO 14001 for environmental management. For some units, it also covers international standard ISO 9001 for quality management.
Some of the national companies are not covered by an umbrella certificate because they have their own certifications, some of which are even more comprehensive. This is the case in Greece, for example, where the OTE Group has its own integrated management system. In addition to the standards named above, it also covers the international standards ISO 50001 for energy management and ISO 27001 for data security.
All of our employees in Germany have ISO 14001- and ISO 45001-certified workstations. Certificate coverage remains at the same level as in the previous year, however, with international coverage of 98 percent of employees.
Certifications at the following national and international companies were added in 2023:
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
Finding solutions
means finding the courage
for open dialog, even beyond
the boundaries of a company.
Let’s all dare to be
more transparent!
Finding solutions means finding the courage for open dialog, even beyond the boundaries of a company. Let’s all dare to be more transparent!
Find out more about the topic
Strategy in the topic specials
Find out more about the topic Strategy in the topic specials
