As part of its show of commitment to reduction of the technology-educed emission, the MTN Group became one of the first companies in South Africa to sign the Cancun Communiqué on Climate Change declaration.
This follows the appending of signature to the communiqué by MTN’s Group President and chief executive officer, Mr. Phuthuma Nhleko, to globally proclaim, the reaffirmation of the company’s commitment to fighting the effects of climate change.
ITRealms Online gathered that the Cancun Communiqué aims to build on the momentum created by the Copenhagen Communiqué – a declaration in which MTN is also a signatory; which the international business community urged governments to reverse the negative effects of climate change by formulating an effective international climate framework.
Though the United Nations’ Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen, last year, purportedly represented an important step forward, it did not deliver the robust deal that the then signatories, including MTN, were hoping for.
Last Friday, MTN represented at a CEO breakfast session hosted by Cambridge University and Anglo American in Johannesburg its peers had an opportunity to discuss the South African government’s position in relation to the upcoming negotiations in Cancun, Mexico, later this year.
The Deputy Director-General, Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa, Ms Joanne Yawitch, led the discussions and fielding questions from delegates.
Commenting on the development, MTN Group Executive, Corporate Affairs, Ms January-Bardill, noted that the Cancun Communiqué presented the business community with a unique opportunity to shape the outcome of the climate change framework anticipated to result from the negotiations.
“As an environmentally-conscious corporate citizen, MTN believes that the ICT industry can play a catalyst role in influencing how governments and other sectors of the economy conduct themselves in relation to the environment,” she said.
Ms January-Bardill, expressed the belief that MTN is leading by example and urged other like-minded corporate to put their shoulders to the wheel to ensure that globally the environment is preserved not only for those living now, but for future generations as well.
As testimony of its commitment to implementing environmentally-friendly practices, MTN was placed joint 20th in the Top 100 JSE-listed companies for its Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) 2010 report.
The CDP is the only international source of carbon-related business information and is utilised by institutional investors with over US$64 trillion assets under management.
Additionally, MTN was a finalist in the recent 2010 AfricaCom Green Telecoms Award for its methane-powered tri-generation plant – the first in Africa - that utilises clean energy sources to power its head office in Johannesburg.
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