If people talk about cutting carbon emissions, the conversation usually heads towards solar panels, electric cars and that sort of thing. The less obvious element that you wouldn’t immediately think of is actually smarter connectivity.
What most don’t realise is that the way in which our devices and networks communicate with each other have a significant impact on the planet itself.
Smarter connectivity is about using data to make better decisions in the present. Businesses, people and even entire cities can look at their demand in real-time and adjust their operations based on that. It means less fuel and less waste which ultimately means less carbon in the air.
A few experts share how small changes add up to create meaningful reductions in emissions.
Our Experts
- Helen Munro: Head of Environment and Sustainability at Pulsant.
- Bob Gourley: Chief Technology Officer of OODA and author of The Cyber Threat.
- Richard Jonker: Vice President Marketing & Business Development at NETGEAR.
- Kishore Bitra: Collaboration Engineering Lead.
- David Idle: Chief Product Officer at Bigleaf Networks.
- Antonino Spatola: Chief Commercial Officer at Filtronic.
- Tim Dyer: Vice President, Global Service Provider Sales and Market Development at CommScope.
- Duncan Griffiths: Head of Sales at M2M & IoT Connectivity, Cellhire.
- Gareth Gordon: Commentator at IBC Innovation Forum.
- Adam Newman: Head of Technical at Insite Energy.
Helen Munro, Head of Environment and Sustainability at Pulsant
“Amidst the current focus on AI Growth Zones, we mustn’t forget the role of edge data centres in regional growth and energy transition.
While there will be use cases for very large facilities, they’re not always the best solution. At a moment of planetary crises, geopolitical and supply chain volatility, we must do more with what we have.
Regional centres aren’t just close to those who need to manage and store data –they put less pressure on power grids and can also be integrated with future local heat networks.
In the Netherlands, an absolute restriction on 70MW+ facilities is incentivising operators to locate at the source of energy, use existing buildings, or feed heat back into district heating systems.
With interconnected data centres across many parts of the UK, we’re keen to be involved in shaping future policy, whether to support the infrastructure behind AI, prudent development, supporting energy supply or building essential skills.”
Bob Gourley, Chief Technology Officer of OODA and author of The Cyber Threat
“Smarter connections help lower carbon emissions by allowing systems to communicate and respond faster. When devices are linked well, they use energy more efficiently. For instance, smart thermostats only heat your home when you’re there or traffic systems can help reduce traffic jams by timing the lights based on the current flow of traffic. Using less energy leads to lower emissions.
it’s also about networks that learn and change. Information on energy use can show us problems we didn’t notice before, which lets us make quick improvements to reduce carbon footprints. An example would be smart grids that manage electricity from renewable sources better, so we don’t have to depend on dirty backup power.
Smarter connections create a significant impact—small improvements in many areas that leads to major cuts in emissions. It’s logical, can grow easily, and is essential for achieving climate goals. By linking devices, data, and choices, we can create a cleaner and more sustainable future without changing our way of life drastically.”
Richard Jonker, Vice President Marketing & Business Development at NETGEAR
“Today’s smart connectivity solutions are already specifically designed to help cut carbon emissions. Intelligent power management systems, for example, enable real-time oversight and automatic adjustment of energy consumption, which cuts waste during both active and idle periods. Centralising these functions into a unified Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) infrastructure removes the need for multiple isolated power supplies, reducing heat generation, simplifying management and audits. PoE also lowers the number of cables and overall electricity use.
Modern wired and wireless technologies allow organisations to simplify cabling architectures, lowering material requirements and reducing the likelihood of installation errors that later result in repairs or replacements. Fewer replacements mean less manufacturing and transportation activity, both of which carry significant carbon footprints.
But some very practical actions will contribute to measurable reductions. Fully powering down devices rather than relying on sleep modes conserves energy. That can be achieved by WiFi-controlled power switches, while low-voltage or E-Ink displays can reduce power usage by up to 70 percent. Remote control further decreases unnecessary travel and on-site interventions, lowering emissions associated with transportation.
Smart features that minimise energy usage and boost efficiency are already available to organisations, and they get a lot more affordable and easier to use.”
Kishore Bitra, Collaboration Engineering Lead
“Unified Communication platforms facilitate high-quality online meetings, chat, and file sharing, effectively replacing many in-person meetings and site visits, which leads to a significant decrease in emissions from commuting and business travel.
Electronic Sign transforms contracts, approvals, and forms from traditional print-scan-ship cycles to digital e-signatures, thereby minimising paper use, printing, shipping, and physical storage, all of which contribute to considerable embodied and operational carbon.
A medium organisation with 10,000 employees, where I implemented the Electronic Signature services, is saving around 500,000 papers every year, which is equivalent to saving 60 Trees and 45 kg of carbon emissions.
Similarly, the same organisation uses Microsoft Teams for all its meetings and video conferencing, and around 20,000+ meetings are hosted online and there will be numerous participants in every online meeting.
Let us assume 3 participants per meeting, each driving a 20 km round trip (very conservative compared with air travel or regional trips). The average car emits roughly 0.11–0.20 kg CO₂ per km, so each person emits about 2.2–4 kg CO₂ per meeting, or 6.6–12 kg CO₂ per meeting for three people.
At 20,000 meetings per month, this conservative local‑drive scenario is roughly 130 to 240 tons of CO₂ per month from travel alone (6.6–12 kg × 20,000).
Smarter connectivity cuts carbon emissions by replacing travel, paper and physical workflows with digital collaboration and e-signatures, especially when organisations lean into unified communication tools and electronic signature platforms.”
David Idle, Chief Product Officer at Bigleaf Networks
“Smarter connectivity reduces carbon emissions by keeping systems stable. When networks drop or struggle, everything connected to them works harder. Devices repeat tasks. Cloud platforms retry requests. Power use climbs across every part of the stack. Stable connections prevent that kind of waste. You get more from the systems already in place without changing hardware or rebuilding software. Network intelligence routes traffic cleanly and limits performance issues.
Most businesses depend on cloud platforms, voice systems, and remote tools. When the network underperforms, those systems use more power to complete the same tasks. This adds up fast, especially in large or distributed environments. We’ve seen this play out many times. When businesses improve connectivity, support tickets drop. Device failure drops.
And power use becomes more predictable and manageable. A steady connection avoids waste by keeping systems from overcorrecting or repeating tasks. That’s what smarter connectivity delivers.”
Antonino Spatola, Chief Commercial Officer at Filtronic
“Here at Filtronic, we believe that connectivity should not come at the expense of the planet. As demand for global coverage grows, traditional terrestrial networks require thousands of towers, consuming vast amounts of steel, concrete, and energy. Complementing existing infrastructure with non-terrestrial networks offers a smarter, more sustainable alternative. While we must acknowledge that rocket launches and the ground infrastructure needed to support satellite payloads have their own environmental impact, this approach still represents a significant reduction compared to widespread terrestrial deployments.
Our advanced RF and mmWave technologies are at the heart of this transformation. By enabling ultra-reliable, high-frequency communication for non-terrestrial platforms, Filtronic helps operators extend coverage efficiently to remote and underserved regions. This reduces the need for energy-intensive terrestrial rollouts and helps minimise the overall carbon footprint of bridging the digital divide.
Beyond connectivity, non-terrestrial networks powered by Filtronic’s solutions unlock applications that drive sustainability—such as IoT for precision agriculture, climate monitoring, and disaster response. These innovations actively enable and support global efforts to cut emissions and protect natural resources.”
Tim Dyer, Vice President, Global Service Provider Sales and Market Development at CommScope
“Sustainability is no longer a buzzword; it has become a boardroom priority. Businesses are under increasing pressure to demonstrate measurable environmental impact, with certifications like LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) setting the benchmark for resource efficiency. Achieving these goals starts with network efficiency and smarter connectivity is emerging as a cornerstone of sustainable operations.
Modern enterprise networks such as Wi-Fi 7, private 5G, IoT and AI enable intelligent monitoring and automation across energy, water and waste systems. By connecting devices and systems, IoT delivers real-time data and automated control which optimises resource use.
A significant change to network capabilities is the widespread adoption and rapid development of AI as a design, configuration, management, monitoring and even optimisation solution. From enhancing heating and cooling in retail to detecting water leaks in hospitality, AI-driven networks ensure resources are consumed only when needed. These capabilities not only cut carbon emissions but also reduce operational costs and truck-rolls, further amplifying sustainability gains.
As industries face climate accountability and tighter margins, smart networks are needed to transform sustainability. By using real time IoT data, enterprises can accelerate their journey toward carbon neutrality, demonstrating that connectivity is a powerful lever for environmental progress.”
Duncan Griffiths, Head of Sales at M2M & IoT Connectivity, Cellhire
“The use of eSIMs has clear CO2 benefits: reduced number of components (plastic, silicon etc,) their transportation and reduction in “SIM miles”, often pan- continent. Major benefits are in their use in IoT solutions, where there is a reduction of our carbon footprint in
how we work and play. IoT will take centre stage in building a more sustainable future and play a role in helping minimise, in the short-term and long-term, carbon impacts.
Examples already include – Agri-Tech, with soil sensors and monitoring systems helping farmers optimise water and fertiliser use while boosting yields and cutting the sector’s footprint. Logistics – where the growth of home delivery through smart route optimisation and technology to communicate with a customer on timely delivery or location reduces second drops.
Smart Building. IoT sensors optimise heating, cooling and lighting in real-time based on occupancy, drastically cutting energy waste, with smart grids balancing renewable energy supply and demand.
IoT is not a silver bullet but thanks to eSIMs can have a material impact on the drive to reduce CO2 emissions, including by reducing carbon footprints via real-time monitoring, data-driven optimisation and automation across sectors. Intelligent use of eSIMs and IoT leads to significant energy and resource efficiency.”
Gareth Gordon, Commentator at IBC Innovation Forum
“As a TV facilities company, every technical choice shapes the weight we move, the distance we travel and the energy we use. At a micro level, shifting from traditional copper multicore to IP systems such as Dante allows us to rely on lightweight ethernet and fibre. Lighter cable means lighter vehicles avoiding the articulated lorries used by competitors and use smaller vans for the same production goals.
At a macro level, a move into REMI (remote) production removes the need to send large crews and heavy equipment around the country. Centralised production, supported by privately managed fibre networks from BT Media & Broadcast, BMC, NEP and Cingularity, lets us service events across the UK. Using compact vehicles avoids large HGV movements that were once seen as essential in the sector.
Internationally, we are able to create stable Layer 2 tunnels across the public internet with tools such as Peplink. Combined with SRT and RTMP transport streams we consistently deliver content for global federations without shipping flight cases worldwide. These choices can cut over 70% of travel-related emissions for a single production.”
Adam Newman, Head of Technical at Insite Energy
“In January, Ofgem will become the new heat network regulator soon requiring all properties
heated via these systems to be connected to energy metering equipment. This will shine a
light on the role of smarter connectivity in reducing carbon emissions from buildings.
Efficiently run heat networks, which metering is proven to achieve, target 65-70%
efficiency, with associated lower emissions, compared to typical underperforming networks
at 35-45%.
Smart metering technology derives meaning from building data to help close the gap
between a heating system's designed performance and its measured reality. Essentially, it provides accurate, detailed performance data of the complete heating system, from energy centre to domestic radiator, making otherwise concealed errors visible.
A real-world example is where everything appeared to be in order at a client’s residential
development. The difference between the flow and return temperatures of water travelling
around the heat network (i.e. the Delta temperature) was exactly where it needed to be.
However, a smart-connected energy monitoring tool, EnergiRaven, let us dig deeper to look
at the function of distribution points and end-meters across the site. One building was
showing a very low Delta temperature, and one flat within it had an excessively high return
rate. Furthermore, this flat had a water-flow rate equivalent to a full hot bath being run
every single hour, even though it was highly likely the occupants were doing no such thing.
The fault turned out to be a transport clip left on a heat interface unit valve at
commissioning – the response was a two-minute fix for an oversight that was costing
around £1,000 per year in wasted energy and the unnecessary release of emissions.
Without the ability to deep dive into the data, no one would have known the problem even
existed.
Add to this that smart connectivity also boosts energy users’ own willingness to reduce
carbon, and it’s clear why it’s so important. Insights from our own web-app and energy
consumption monitoring tool, KURVE, reveal that ‘energy-mindfulness’ generated by seeing
their own usage in real time leads to a 24% average drop in residents’ energy usage
compared to those on credit billing.
It’s a topic which is only going to become more prominent in 2026. Many hope the
upcoming regulations could mean an upsurge of inefficiencies such as these being detected, and – crucially – resolved, but this can only be done to its full effect should the data made available by compulsory metering lead those with the ability to act to make meaningful changes. If this is done, rather than purely seeking compliance, the carbon-reducing powers of smart connectivity will be impossible to ignore.”
