UPDATED: Telus (T-T) says it has met its target of sourcing all the electricity for its global operations from renewable or low-emitting sources as of Dec. 31, claiming to be the first Canadian telecom to do so.

The Vancouver-headquartered company announced the accomplishment Friday morning, alongside its Climate Transition Framework which outlines Telus’s strategy to be net-zero by 2040.

Telus sourced 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable or low-emitting energy through on-site solar assets, virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) and purchasing renewable electricity certificates or equivalents, a company spokesperson said in an email exchange. 

An example of a low-emitting electricity source is nuclear power in Ontario.

At the end of 2024, the company sourced 60 per cent of its electricity from renewables or low-emitting sources, it said in the framework.

“Achieving our renewable electricity target demonstrates that ambitious climate goals are within reach when backed by strategic action,” Darren Entwistle, president and CEO of Telus, said in the announcement.

Telus operates in over 45 countries within the telecom, technology, health care and agriculture industries.

Telus’s emissions reductions

By the end of 2024, the latest year Telus covered in its sustainability reporting, almost 13 per cent of its overall greenhouse gas emissions were from electricity.

The company had cut the emissions related to its electricity use from 240,919 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2019 to 143,269 tonnes in 2024, a reduction of over 40 per cent.

Telus’s initiatives in the renewables sector include tapping into 167 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity from three solar facilities and one wind facility in Alberta through VPPAs. Its partner in the project is Solas Energy, a Calgary-based clean energy firm. This grew Telus’s renewable energy portfolio to 300 MW of generation capacity, the spokesperson said. 

From 2019 to 2024, Telus cut the carbon emissions from its fleet, buildings and electricity consumption by 38 per cent, and reduced its emissions from purchased goods and services and capital goods by 10 per cent. Over 40 per cent of its suppliers by spend have set SBTi-validated targets.

A breakdown of how much electricity Telus sources from renewables and low-emitting sources will be disclosed in its upcoming 2025 sustainability report, the spokesperson said.

Telus’s Climate Transition Framework

In the Climate Transition Framework, Telus announced and reiterated its climate targets which were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Based on a 2019 baseline, Telus aims to:

• reach net-zero across its direct emissions (Scope 1), electricity (Scope 2) and supply chain (Scope 3) by 2040;
• reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 46 per cent by 2030, and 85 per cent by 2033;
• cut its business travel and employee commuting carbon emissions by 46 per cent by 2030;
• slash its Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services, capital goods and use of sold products per $1 million in revenue by 75 per cent by 2030; and
• have 65 per cent of its suppliers by spend set their own targets approved by the SBTi by 2028.

Telus announced the steps it plans to make as part of the strategy. Those include:

• Decarbonizing its network infrastructure and buildings through renewable electricity, energy-efficient networks, fleet electrification and climate adaptation programs.
• Offering more sustainable product design, adopting energy efficiency standards and participating in the Canadian Energy Efficiency Voluntary Agreement program.
• Supporting emission reductions outside of its value chain via remote work, virtual health care, smart energy management, precision agriculture and investing in nature-based solutions.

Later in the year, Telus plans to release a more comprehensive climate transition plan, which will outline “strategies for climate resilience and provide detailed pathways for achieving its net-zero ambition.” It will prioritize its Scope 3 emissions in particular, which represent the bulk of the company’s carbon pollution.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with details of how Telus sourced its electricity from renewable sources.