Telefónica has renewed its collaboration with IK Ingeniería for the development and update of its avoided emissions calculation methodology, a framework that enables the quantification of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions its customers avoid through the use of its digital and connectivity services.
In a context marked by the growing need to accelerate climate action, digital and connectivity solutions are playing an increasingly important role in the decarbonisation of sectors such as energy, industry, construction and transport, helping to reduce resource consumption and CO₂ emissions. With this objective in mind, Telefónica has updated and strengthened its methodological framework for assessing the avoided emissions associated with the use of digital and connectivity solutions, a project carried out with the support of IK Ingeniería.
The methodology has been developed based on two key international standards in this field: the WBCSD Guidance on Avoided Emissions and the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU-T) L.1480 Recommendation for assessing the carbon impact of ICT solutions.
IK Ingeniería has played a key role in the development and update of the avoided emissions calculation methodology, focusing its work on the following areas:
- Updating data, references and emission factors.
- Optimising the avoided emissions calculation model.
- Processing and validating data.
- Updating the calculation engine and integrating new tools.
- Conducting an overall review of the methodology and calculation tool.
Thanks to this methodology, Telefónica can continue quantifying the avoided emissions generated through its digital and connectivity solutions in areas such as mobility and energy, providing evidence of their contribution to the decarbonisation of its customers' activities and reinforcing its position as a benchmark in the application of technological innovation to create economic, social and environmental value.
In 2025 alone, the solutions assessed using this methodology enabled Telefónica's customers to avoid 19.2 million tonnes of CO₂e across Spain, Germany and Brazil.
For more information, you can consult the full methodology on Telefónica's website.