Our emissions not much: Mobile firms

The mobile industry currently contributes less than one per cent to the total carbon emissions in India and this is expected to grow to 1.5 per cent by 2015, according to Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

The association will formulate a detailed and sustainable emission reduction programme, with realistic time frames, the statement said.

A large amount of operating expenditure is spent on running the network on diesel annually due to the shortage of grid supply and limited availability of scalable alternate energy sources.

At a meeting between representatives of Green Peace and COAI to discuss the details of their carbon emission reduction programme, it was felt both organisations should work together to adopt a coordinated and cooperative action plan for the industry to reduce carbon emissions.

Green Peace had asked telecom player Bharti Airtel to give the details of its carbon emission due to the use of diesel.