British Telecom has entered into agreements that amount to the world’s largest purchase of green electricity to date, signing three-year contracts that will see almost all of its UK electricity needs met from sustainable sources and combined heat and power schemes.
The contracts, with npower and British Gas, are worth several hundred million pounds and cover British Telecom’s 6500 telephone exchanges, satellite earth stations, offices and depots. Nearly 1000 MWh of electricity are to be supplied from renewable sources such as wind, solar, wave and hydroelectric generation, in addition to more than 1.1 TWh of low-carbon, fuel-efficient energy from CHP schemes. Together, these will reduce BT’s CO2 emissions by more than 325 000 t/y.
BT has already reduced its energy-related CO2 emissions by 80 % since 1991, nearly 1.5 million t/y, through an energy management and efficiency programme, reducing waste and buying green energy.
