MTN Uganda cuts emissions 45pc under Project Zero
MTN Uganda has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 45% against a 2021 baseline, putting the telecom operator on track to hit its interim 50% reduction target by 2030, according to its newly released 2025 Sustainability Report.
The reduction, delivered through the company’s Project Zero climate initiative launched in 2021, has been accompanied by the expansion of renewable-powered infrastructure across the network. MTN Uganda now operates 3,712 green sites powered by solar and hydropower solutions, up from a smaller base at the programme’s launch.
“As a technology-led organisation, we recognise that how we power and operate our network is central to our climate footprint and to our long-term sustainability,” said Thomas Motlepa, MTN Uganda’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, in the report.
The company said its emissions strategy rests on three levers: reducing energy use in operations through efficiency upgrades, substituting conventional energy sources with renewables, and scaling innovation projects such as its ongoing solarisation drive. A solar installation commissioned at MTN Uganda’s headquarters, with a capacity of 490 kWh, is expected to save the company an estimated UGX 30 million a year in electricity costs, illustrating a business case for decarbonisation that goes beyond compliance.
MTN Uganda is targeting net-zero emissions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 2040, in line with commitments set by MTN Group. To extend the reduction effort beyond its own operations, the company said 70% of its top suppliers by spend have now pledged to its net-zero ambition, a move aimed at cutting emissions across its wider value chain.
The company obtained limited external assurance on selected 2025 emissions data from Ernst & Young Uganda, in line with the ISAE 3000 assurance standard, as it works to strengthen the credibility of its climate disclosures ahead of full alignment with international sustainability reporting frameworks.
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