Sustainability remains to be a key driver in the PLDT Group’s business strategy as the telco leader’s infrastructure investments drive the country’s digital transformation and position the Philippines as Asia Pacific’s next hyperscale destination.

“As an enabler of digital transformation, the PLDT Group has been at the forefront of this change - enabling enterprises in their transformation goals through innovative solutions and world-class infrastructure, while consistently providing the best fixed and wireless services to our customers. But in all these, we have committed to embed sustainability in the way we do business responsibly, to ensure significant and lasting value for future generations in the digital innovations that we offer,” said PLDT and Smart President and CEO Al Panlilio during the opening of the Philippine Digital Convention.

PLDT's latest infrastructure investments include the construction of VITRO Sta. Rosa hyperscale data centre, Jupiter cable system, and the upcoming Asia Direct Cable and Apricot Cable systems. These are expected to boost the country’s digital transformation initiatives and meet future industry requirements for massive data capacity, high-speed connectivity, and more digital services. 

PLDT Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of Investor Relations Melissa Vergel De Dios further expounded on PLDT’s sustainability initiatives during the Hyperscale growth discussion. “Sustainability for PLDT is not some stand-alone project. Instead, we are trying to embed it in everything we do, in operations and in our culture so that it becomes the PLDT way of life.”

As part of its ESG commitment under the environmental pillar, the PLDT Group decarbonisation roadmap targets to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. The roadmap sets annual targets for reduction in emissions on an absolute basis, as well as in terms of intensity, including emissions as a percentage of revenues. 

“As we continue to build world-class digital infrastructure to strengthen our position as the next hyperscale destination in Asia Pacific, we remain guided by an even bigger mission, and that is to help build a sustainable future for every Filipino. For example, sustainability is a key consideration in the design of the VITRO Sta. Rosa hyperscale data centre to ensure power utilisation efficiency and the optimum use of scarce water resources,” said Gary F. Ignacio, VP & Head of Strategic Business Development Sector.  

The PLDT Group has already started producing its own power with the use of solar panels in some of its facilities such as those already installed in VITRO Clark and the soon-to-rise VITRO Sta. Rosa. Additionally, PLDT has integrated renewable energy (RE) into the power mix of VITRO data centres starting at 20% of each site’s power consumption with the long-term goal to be fully powered by RE as more supply becomes available. The recently launched Jupiter cable system on the other hand was deployed through Horizontal Directional Drilling on the cable’s final mile approach to PH shorelines to minimise environmental disturbance within marine life ecosystems. 

As the only Philippine telecommunications companies with Participant status under the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative, PLDT and Smart are able to actively engage with the UNGC at the global level, joining around 17,000 companies from over 160 countries and committed to supporting sustainable business practices in line with the UNGC principles, as well at the local level via the Global Compact Network Philippines where PLDT chairs the Planet Pillar.