On May 28 IHS Towers, Africa's largest towerco and a major operator of sites in the Americas and the Middle East, published its 2023 Sustainability Report. Available here. Commenting on the report Sam Darwish, Chairman & CEO, IHS Towers, said, “Since 2017, we have invested more than $29 million in community-focused initiatives as part of our comprehensive sustainability program. We are proud to help bring millions of people the power of mobile connectivity, promoting economic growth, social development, and access to critical public services.”
The 2023 Report is the second report prepared by IHS Towers in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative Standards and maps the company’s sustainability initiatives to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Project Green is the name for the current phase of their Carbon Reduction Roadmap. Darwish added "we directed considerable effort towards reducing our environmental footprint. This included a reduction of Scope 1 and Scope 2 kilowatt-hour emissions intensity by approximately 6% compared with 2022. Looking back on 2023, we are pleased with our progress and continue to reflect, refine, and enhance our sustainability strategy today for the benefit of all stakeholders.”
2023 Sustainability Report Highlights
Environment
Continued to execute on our Carbon Reduction Roadmap
- Reduced our Scope 1 and Scope 2 kilowatt-hour emissions intensity by approximately 6% compared with 2022, with an 11% approximate reduction in emissions intensity since 2021.
Powered 48% of our sites with hybrid power systems that combine diesel generators with solar and/or battery systems.
Maintained responsible management of our waste streams, including:
- 20,044 batteries recycled or reused.
- 75% approximate reduction in hazardous lead-acid waste in Brazil.
- 25,640 kilograms of iron from dismantled towers recycled in Côte d’Ivoire.
Supported local biodiversity and reforestation projects by planting almost 30,000 trees across Brazil, Cameroon and Rwanda.
Social
Spent $7 million on community-focused sustainability initiatives.
Reduced our Road Traffic Accident Frequency (RTAF) rate by 7% and reported zero fatalities.
Increased female representation with females comprising 27% of employees and 28% of managers across the Group.
Strengthened our supplier due diligence to include screening new suppliers for environmental and social criteria.
Continued our commitment to education through several initiatives:
- Expanded our UNICEF Giga partnership to Brazil, to help Giga map and connect more schools to the internet.
- Advanced our Frontline Workers Initiative, which is currently supporting 50 students via scholarships to top-tier local and international universities.
- Announced a partnership with the Limitless Space Institute to help teachers in Brazil and Nigeria pursue new opportunities in space education.
- Provided 400 schools in Nigeria with free internet connectivity and donated 200 mini tablets in partnership with UNICEF Nigeria.
Governance
Achieved ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management System certification; in addition, IHS Nigeria is ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System certified.
Received an updated ESG Risk Rating from Morningstar Sustainalytics. As of April 2024, our ESG Risk Rating places us in the top 16% of all companies assessed by Morningstar Sustainalytics in the Telecommunication Services Industry.
