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We keep our goal of reducing our carbon footprint in mind when planning and operating our data centers. To achieve this goal, we take a two-step approach. It starts with optimizing energy consumption at each data center site and then continues with improving processes throughout the global data center landscape.

Our aim is to increase the share of renewable energy on a yearly basis. Therefore our reported target is to increase our share in comparison to the previous year.

We want to make sure that used routers and media receivers don’t just end up in the trash. That is why we promote the “Don’t buy, rent” approach. Our rental services conserve resources and reduce electronic waste, thus cutting CO2 emissions. When a contract is canceled, the customer returns the devices, which are then either refurbished and rented out again or professionally recycled. We have simplified the return process by introducing a returns portal. We advertise our rental service actively and successfully. The offer has been well received by our customers
the number of people using the rental service increased to just over 11,65 million by the end of 2022.

We work with BAGSO (the German National Association of Senior Citizens’ Organizations) to promote media literacy among seniors. As a partner, we sponsor the Goldener Internetpreis (Golden Internet Award). The award recognizes people over the age of 60 who use the internet skillfully and help others to get started in the online world. The next award ceremony is planned for November 2019.
In 2018, we once again took part in Deutscher Seniorentag (Germany’s Day for Seniors), showcasing products and services aimed at people aged 65 years and over. These included mobile telecommunications, fixed-line and MagentaEINS offerings, apps for seniors, and security products by Magenta SmartHome. Visitors to our booth had the chance to use a variety of services. For example, we had two technicians available to set up mobile devices and answer technical questions. As an advisory board member, we are also involved in Digital-Kompass (Digital Compass), a joint project by BAGSO and DsiN. Digital-Kompass uses materials and regular meetings on digital issues to support internet guides who help seniors get online and explore the internet. A total of 75 Digital-Kompass locations are also being set up across Germany.

The Deutschland sicher im Netz e.V. (DsiN – Making Germany Safe on the Net) association has served as a central point of contact for consumers and small businesses interested in the topics of IT security and data privacy for twelve years now. As a member of the association, we are committed to working with other companies and organizations on projects such as the “IT-Sicherheit@Mittelstand” (IT security for SMEs) series of workshops, the “Digitale Sicherheit” (Digital Safety) campaign network, and “Digital-Kompass” (Digital Compass). We are also contributing to the “Sicherheitsbarometer” app (Safety Barometer – SiBa app) for digital self-protection.
Furthermore, we are supporting the project “Digitale Nachbarschaft” (DsiN, Digital Neighborhood). This trains people as volunteer IT ambassadors who will pass on their knowledge and expertise to neighbors and colleagues.
As a member of the “Security, protection, and trust for society and business” platform, which is part of Germany’s national Digital Summit, we worked with the DsiN to develop a new educational tool for artificial intelligence. KInsights! is an interactive showroom that offers an insight into the latest AI technologies. The tool was unveiled to the public by Prof. Günter Krings, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building, and Community, at the Digital Summit on December 4, 2018.

Since the the Computerhilfe Plus service launch in 2016, the demand for support in matters related to digital security has continued to grow. That’s why we introduced the Digital Schutzpaket (Digital Protection Package) in 2018 and added the Digital Schutzpaket Business (Business Digital Protection Package) to this product at the end of 2019. The Digital Protection Package combines all relevant security services in one product and offers a central point of contact for all topics related to home networks and Wi-Fi, internet, and social media. A service number provides access to Deutsche Telekom experts for support on protecting the home network from external attacks, or help on the secure use of the internet, social networks, and passwords. In the event of data loss, we look after recovering files where possible. Other service components include financial protection from fraudulent use of bank details, fraud in private online trading, and protection and effective countermeasures against cyberbullying or insults on the internet. For business customers, reputation protection is also included, which supports the deletion of unstable negative ratings and provides tips on maintaining online reputation. ID-Alarm helps customers protect their digital identity and alerts them when stolen login data is found.

With our global data privacy organization, we are constantly working to provide a transparent and high level of data privacy in all our companies. As far as legally possible, the companies of the Deutsche Telekom Group have also committed themselves to the Binding Corporate Rules Privacy (BCRP), which are intended to ensure a uniformly high level of data privacy for our products and services. Violations of behavioral requirements, legal provisions, internal guidelines (such as the Binding Corporate Rules Privacy BCRP) and regulations can have serious consequences not only for individuals personally, but also for Deutsche Telekom. Therefore, on the basis of the Deutsche Telekom Code of Conduct, reproachable deliberate misconduct will not be tolerated. Deutsche Telekom sanctions such misconduct and violations consistently and without exception within the framework of the legal provisions, without taking into account the rank and position of the acting and affected person.

LCMM (Low Carbon Mobility Management) is a complete system developed for managing logistics fleets. DHL and DB Schenker,
for example, use the patented system in China and Europe and have reduced harmful emissions by an average of 20 percent (saving of 468 kg CO2 per HGV within one month). Fuel costs also went down by as much as 15 percent. This solution starts by analyzing
individual driver behavior. The app helps drivers to develop a more environmentally focused driving style. A cloud backend with corresponding dashboards helps fleet operators to manage their vehicle fleets as efficiently as possible (including up-to-date positioning of each vehicle).

In 11/2020, LCMM has been awarded with the "#GreenMagenta" label of Deutsche Telekom.

With the internal policy “Binding Corporate Rules Privacy (BCRP)”, the Deutsche Telekom Group is creating a standardized and high level of data privacy worldwide, applicable to the processing of personal data. Any breaches of rules, legal obligations, or of internal policies (like the Binding Corporate Rules Privacy BCRP) and regulations may have serious consequences not only for the individuals committing them, but also for Deutsche Telekom. Therefore based on the “Code of Conduct of Deutsche Telekom, deliberate misconduct will not be tolerated. Without any exception, Deutsche Telekom will severely sanction any such misconduct or violation against legal provisions. In doing so Deutsche Telekom will take no account of the employee’s rank or position within the company.

How can international corporations put sustainability strategies into practice across borders? Deutsche Telekom employs CR managers for the relevant business segments and national companies to reach this goal. They use the CR Manager Network to regularly share best practices and discuss new challenges, thereby jointly promoting essential CR issues. The central Group Corporate Responsibility (GCR) department is responsible for managing the network. In the year 2021, the CR Manager Network encompassed more than 100 CR Manager from 34 subsidiaries based in 20 countries across the globe. 

The participants are regularly invited to virtual meetings and capacity building calls by Group Corporate Responsibility. In 2021, content and likely implications of the EU Green Deal were discussed as well as progress within the #GreenMagenta programs and the new strategic stream "Positive impact on society" defined by the EU segment. Furthermore, the network members could gain insights into issues like Impact measurement and the future of a greener mobility.

Our “IT remarketing” project involves reconditioning our used IT hardware to make it suitable for further use. We continue to maintain our partnership with “AfB gemeinnützige GmbH”, which offers job opportunities to people with disabilities. Within the scope of this partnership, we are giving some of our used IT hardware (e.g. laptops) to the organization for reconditioning and reselling. This will support us to save resources and to create jobs for people with disabilities as well as extend the life cycle of our used hardware.

After being enacted in May 2016, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has had a binding effect since May 25, 2018. Deutsche Telekom implemented the requirements contained therein in a three-stage, EU-wide project:

• Preparation: Group Privacy drew up a set of standardized rules, known as Binding Interpretations, that apply to the entire Group. They were developed in collaboration with the national companies. The Binding Interpretations include specific recommendations and best practice examples to implement the EU regulation.
• Implementation: From January 2017 to May 25, 2018, the new requirements based on the Binding Interpretations were introduced throughout the Group. This involved checking and, where necessary, adjusting all the IT systems. All employees were made aware of the General Data Protection Regulation, and more than 10,000 experts received intensive training.
• Evaluation: The implementation period was followed by a review phase during which all affected Group entities were asked whether they had put all relevant requirements into action. In addition to this, GDPR compliance was randomly inspected at 28 companies.

Telekom has been supporting the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) since 2008. The RMI is the largest initiative in the economy for responsible raw material procurement. Its aim is to identify conflict raw materials and to prevent their extraction and trading with them. The RMI goes back to a working group founded in 2008 by the Global enabling Sustainability Initiative and Responsible Business Alliance for the sustainable extraction of raw materials. Since then, the number of metalworking and smelting companies that participate in the RMI has grown steadily.

ICT products can contain processed minerals, some of which are mined under inhumane, illegal conditions. The proceeds are often used to finance civil wars in Africa. Telekom is committed to ensuring that the devices it trades do not contain any raw materials produced under critical conditions. It supports the efforts of the Responsible Minerals Initiative, which is committed to responsible raw material extraction and procurement. Their central instrument is the Conflict-Free Smelter Program and the corresponding Smelter Database, which is used to control the metalworking and smelting plants (Smelter). Independent auditors check whether the raw materials obtained come from responsible sources and create publicly available audit reports for each processed metal. To make it easier to report abuses, there are contact addresses where whistleblowers can submit their information anonymously.