ICTSI commits to net zero by 2050

International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) committed to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050 for a sustainable future.

“Our commitment to decarbonization targets marks an important step on our journey to becoming a more sustainable company,” according to Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI Executive Vice President, Compliance Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer.

“As part of this, we are actively implementing initiatives to maximize energy and resource efficiency, reduce carbon intensity, and lower emissions.”

Furthermore, ICTSI pledged to reduce its GHG emissions directly from its operations (Scope 1) and purchased electricity (Scope 2) by 26 percent per container move by 2030, benchmarked against a 2021 baseline – a significant step towards net zero by 2050.

The company is actively evaluating emissions across its entire value chain (Scope 3) and will develop an inventory by 2025, followed by a target review.

These targets will be regularly reviewed and updated in alignment with evolving climate science, ensuring that ICTSI stays at the forefront of adaptation and mitigation efforts.

ICTSI has already achieved carbon neutrality in four terminals in the Americas – Contecon Guayaquil in Ecuador, Contecon Manzanillo in Mexico, and Tecon Suape and Rio Brasil Terminal in Brazil – representing a significant quarter of the Group’s total volume handled.

This accomplishment, alongside the deployment of 48 hybrid RTGs across its network, including 40 at the company’s flagship Manila International Container Terminal; two each at Mindanao Container Terminal in Misamis Oriental and South Pacific International Container Terminal in Lae, Papua New Guinea; and four at Matadi Gateway Terminal in D.R. Congo, underlines ICTSI’s move to reduce its environmental impact.

“Making a positive environmental impact is fundamental to our business strategy which means we will continuously review and update our goals to ensure their relevance and accelerate our efforts towards mitigating climate change,” Gonzalez concluded.

Globe & Nokia deploy sustainable antenna

Globe recently deployed Nokia’s state-of-the-art Interleaved Passive Active Antenna (IPAA+) radio solution in South Cotabato. 

This was the first of at least 50 installations planned for this year to support the telco’s network expansion.

Nokia produced the IPAA+ for Globe as a sustainable, low footprint and high capacity 4G/5G antenna to support smooth site upgrades.

Using state-of-the-art antenna interleaving technology, the IPAA+ is a compact solution, saving some 1.5 meters of tower height space. 

Crucially, it does not increase the wind load on the tower, speeding up site acquisition and making deployment easier and faster. 

The impact on the cell site is minimal, as tower reinforcement and construction works are typically not needed, reducing the environmental impact during site modernization and the deployment of 5G.

The world-first testing of the 2.6 GHz IPAA+variant in Tantangan, South Cotabato, showed a 5 percent improvement in efficiency compared to legacy antennas. 

Furthermore, as the IPAA+ enables a wider coverage area, it also has the advantage of supporting more end-users.

“Through this innovation, Nokia will help us lessen our cost of energy and carbon emissions,” says Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer.

“Through this unique IPAA+ variant, we are supporting Globe’s efforts to reduce its environmental footprint as well as accelerate its 4G/5G rollout across the country,” notrd Subho Mukherjee, VP of Sustainability at Nokia.

“We will continue to work closely with them throughout deployment at approximately 50 additional sites this year in the Visayas and Mindanao islands,” he added.

The deployment demonstrates Globe’s commitment to adopting green network solutions to halve global carbon emissions by 2030 and attain Net Zero by 2050. 

To date, 25 of its high energy utilization facilities run on renewable energy.

In 2021, Globe committed to set science-based targets through the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and submitted its science-based targets for evaluation and validation in June 2023.

It has maintained a CDP ‘B’ Rating since 2021 and is also committed to supporting the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), underscoring its dedication to address climate-related risks.

Most recently, Globe was recognized in four categories at the recent Environmental Finance Sustainable Company Awards 2023: Energy Efficiency Initiative of the Year in APAC, Net Zero Progression of the Year in APAC, Sustainability Reporting of the Year in APAC, and Large Enterprise of the Year in APAC.