Environmental Management Policy
Environmental and Energy Management
FET is committed to improving energy efficiency by implementing the Energy Management System (ISO 50001) and Environmental Management System (ISO 14001) certification. We have also implemented the GHG Inventories (ISO 14064-1) to effectively manage the environmental impacts of energy consumption. To guide our efforts, we have established the "FET Environment and Energy Policy " and "Statement of GHG Management Policy." Our goal is to conserve energy and improve efficiency in all stages of telecom services, while actively contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
In accordance with the Environmental and Energy Management Guidelines, FET has formed an Environmental and Energy Management Organization to ensure the effective operation of its environmental, energy, and water resource management systems. Since 2011, FET has progressively adopted ISO international standards to enhance its management mechanisms and has formulated an "Environment and Energy Policy" to promote environmental awareness among both internal and external stakeholders. This policy encourages customers, suppliers, contractors, key business partners, and merger targets to develop energy management measures for various operational sites, implement energy-saving initiatives, and assess and verify the effectiveness of their execution. For our employees, we provide education, training, and raise awareness through environmental policies to enhance their understanding of climate change and environmental protection. This approach helps them grasp the impact of their work activities on the environment, thereby supporting the company's pursuit of environmental sustainability goals.
To drive effective environmental policy implementation, FarEasTone has established a transparent accountability framework and a well-defined authorization system. The Environmental and Energy Management Organization, composed of department heads and subject matter experts, leads the planning, execution, and performance evaluation of environmental initiatives. Regular meetings are held to review progress and refine strategies, ensuring continuous improvement.Each department is responsible for the environmental performance within its scope of operations and is required to report progress to the committee on a regular basis. This creates a robust management structure that integrates top-down oversight with cross-functional collaboration.FET actively encourages employee participation and feedback, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility. Through ongoing monitoring and internal training programs, we strengthen policy execution and enhance our ability to adapt and improve.
To enhance employees’ understanding of environmental sustainability and strengthen awareness of energy conservation and carbon reduction, the company planned and conducted the course “2024 Net Zero Green Living: Everyone Participate (Personal Edition)” in October 2024. The course introduced how to integrate net zero green living into work and daily life across various aspects, including food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, entertainment, and shopping. Practical practices such as improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, resource recycling and sorting, and conserving water and energy were also highlighted. In addition, the course presented the company’s net zero pathway and related environmental sustainability measures and goals. Through the “Net Zero Green Living” initiative, employees are expected to become seeds of environmental friendliness and further spread this positive influence. The course achieved a training completion rate of 95.8%.
We also recognize the vital role of external stakeholders in shaping and advancing our environmental policies. FET engages with suppliers, customers, community representatives, and environmental organizations through diverse channels such as consultation meetings and surveys. Insights gathered from these interactions inform policy adjustments and help optimize implementation.All relevant policies and updates are transparently disclosed via our website and annual reports. We also provide dedicated feedback channels to ensure stakeholders can share their suggestions at any time. In addition, we collaborate with external partners to promote environmental projects, reinforcing community engagement and continuously responding to stakeholder expectations.
Environment and Energy Management Organization
FET Telecom aligns with international management standards by continuously implementing systems such as ISO 14001 Environmental Management, ISO 50001 Energy Management, ISO 14064-1 Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and ISO 46001 Water Efficiency Management. The company has established the Environmental and Energy Policy, the Greenhouse Gas Management Policy Statement, and the Environmental and Energy Management Guidelines as frameworks to guide the management of various environmental impacts. In accordance with the Environmental and Energy Management Guidelines, FET has formed an Environmental and Energy Management Organization to ensure the effective operation of its environmental, energy, and water resource management systems.
Environmental Management System
FET Telecom has long implemented ISO 14001 Environmental Management, ISO 50001 Energy Management, and ISO 14064-1 Greenhouse Gas Inventory systems, all of which undergo external verification. The scope and achievements of these environmental management systems are as follows. Under ISO 14001, the company set targets to increase the waste recycling rate by 2%, reduce water consumption by 1%, conduct climate risk potential analysis for infrastructure, achieve an 80% response rate to ESG sustainability risk self-assessment questionnaires from the top 400 suppliers, secure a 95% signature rate for the biodiversity commitment letter from suppliers, and reach an 87% adoption rate for electronic billing. Under ISO 50001, the goals included achieving electricity savings of 5.96 million kWh and adopting externally procured or selfdeveloped solar energy projects.
- Note 1: The Energy Management System has adopted the ISO 50001:2018 version.
- Note 2.: The greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory follows the ISO 14064-1:2018 standard and the GHG Protocol. The scope covers FET Telecom, New Century InfoComm Tech Co., Ltd., KGEx.com Co., Ltd., ARCOA Communication Co., Ltd., DataExpress Infotech Co., Ltd., Home Master Technology Ltd., information Security Service Digital United Inc., Yuanshi Digital Technology Co., Ltd., Yuan Cing Co., Ltd., Far EasTone Insurance Agency Co., Ltd., Prime Ecopower Co., Ltd., IDEAWORKS Entertainment Co., Ltd., Mission International Co., Ltd., Nextlink Technology Co., Ltd., Microfusion Technology Co., Ltd., Fu Hong Net, Far Reach Entertainment, FEIS, New Diligent Co., Ltd., Digital United (Cayman) Ltd., Nextlink (Singapore) Technology Co., Ltd., Microfusion Technology Co., Ltd. (Malaysia), Asia Pacific Telecom Hong Kong Co., Ltd., Nextlink (Shanghai) Technologies Co., Ltd., Digital United Information Technologies (Shanghai) Ltd., Nextlink (HK) Technology Co., Ltd., Microfusion (HK) Technology Co., Ltd., and Sino Lead Enterprise Limited. Among them, the following five companies—Nextlink (Shanghai) Technologies Co., Ltd., Digital United Information Technologies (Shanghai) Ltd., Nextlink (HK) Technology Co., Ltd., Microfusion (HK) Technology Co., Ltd., and Sino Lead Enterprise Limited—completed 2022 inventory in 2023 in response to Taiwan FSC’s requirements. For the 2025 inventory of 2024 data, these five companies will follow China’s GHG inventory regulations, which require reporting only without third-party assurance. These five entities account for only 0.011% of the total group emissions.
FET Overall Energy Management and Conservation
In order to facilitate the transition to renewable energy, FET establishes yearly objectives and encourages energy-saving initiatives for key departments with high energy consumption. These departments include base stations, data centers, stores, offices, and logistics.
- Note 1:EUI, Energy Use Intensity (kWh/m2・yr)
- Note 2: The main reason for not meeting the target in 2024 (Y24) was the inclusion of over 6,000 non-retained base stations from Asia Pacific Telecom, whose electricity consumption was recorded at the beginning of the year. Excluding Asia Pacific Telecom's electricity usage, FET’s final energy intensity in Y24 was 0.088 kWh per million Kcal/GB, representing a 50.3% decrease compared to Y21.
- Note 3: Due to the merger with Asia Pacific Telecom in December 2023, and considering that Asia Pacific’s annual energy use intensity (EUI) was approximately 1% higher than that of FET Telecom, the consolidated calculation affected the overall performance. Moving forward, FET Telecom will strengthen electricity usage control and enhance the implementation of energy-saving initiatives.
- Note 4: In FY2024, the percentage of renewable energy of total energy used of FET is 2.51%, and percentage of renewable energy of total energy used in data centers is 10.32%.( The target for renewable energy use in equipment rooms for 2024 was 5%)
As of the third quarter of 2025, FET Telecom’s energy-saving performance remained steady, with cumulative power savings reaching 37.63 million kWh, achieving 94% of the annual target. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 29.9% compared to 2021, surpassing the reduction target of 24.5%. This demonstrates that FET Telecom’s decarbonization actions continue to deepen while strengthening the results of its green energy deployment.
ISO Certificates
Waste Management
1. Waste Analysis and Management Standards
Far EasTone Telecom (FET) conducts an inventory of waste usage and identifies key areas for improvement through the implementation of the ISO 14001 environmental management system and third-party verification.
According to the inventory results, the total amount of waste generated by the company is 2,603.583 tons:
A. The majority being industrial waste (lead-acid batteries) at 1,738.453 tons (67% of the total waste), which has been 100% entrusted to licensed removal and treatment vendors for recycling.
B. The general waste amounts to 285.147 tons (11% of the total waste), with 23% being recyclable items (wastepaper and paper containers accounting for 77% of recyclable items, waste plastic containers accounting for 17%); The remaining 77% is non-recyclable waste, all of which has been entrusted to licensed removal and treatment vendors for recycling.
C. The industrial waste (fiber optic/copper cables) and non-hazardous industrial waste amount to 579.983 tons (22% of the total waste) , which has also been entrusted to Ericsson and licensed removal and treatment vendors for recycling.
Additionally, routine general waste management includes daily statistics and reporting of waste from owned sites, and employee auctions and donations of old furniture.
As mentioned above, lead-acid batteries make up most of the company's waste. These batteries are used to keep UPS/SMR equipment in data centers and base stations running. The company has begun evaluating the feasibility of using more environmentally friendly batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, and will phase in replacements if the safety is confirmed. General waste continues to be statistically tracked and reported daily to reduce waste and increase recycling rates. Employees perform the first sorting, and outsourced cleaning vendors perform the second sorting in recycling areas within office premises to avoid sorting errors and increase recycling rates. Additionally, annual resource recycling training will be conducted to involve employees.
2. Waste Reduction Goals, Actions, and Education and Training
FET continues to promote waste reduction and increase resource recycling rates for general waste. In 2024, the goal was set to reduce per capita general waste by 2%, which was achieved. The goal for 2025 is zero growth in non-recyclable waste and a 2% increase in the recycling rate of recyclable waste. Annual environmental sustainability training courses has been conducted in the fourth quarter to enhance employees' awareness of environmental sustainability and correct waste reduction and sorting concepts. The following activities will be carried out to achieve waste reduction:
- Asset management units work with procurement units to assess the feasibility of recycling different equipment during disposal, enhancing the reuse of various equipment components and reducing waste generation.
- Inventory and promotion of disposing of tissue paper in toilets to reduce waste generation.
- Employee furniture auctions: Selling discarded furniture at low prices to employees to reduce waste generation and disposal, benefiting employees in need.
- Replacing bottled water with mugs: The Company does “NOT” provide disposable paper cups and bottled water in office premises, instead providing company-issued mugs.
- Enhancing the recycling process for wastepaper and paper containers: These items represent 77% of the recyclable general waste. FET has set all office machines to print double-sided and encourages employees to digitize documents to reduce paper printing and increase the recycling rate of paper containers.
- Recycling copier consumables to vendors.
3. Collaborating with the Value Chain for Waste Circular Innovation and Management
Circular Economy Strategies and Actions:
In addition to the above waste reduction and management, FET is committed to promoting innovation and R&D through collaboration with suppliers and business partners to reduce waste amount. As a sustainable leadership brand, FET's annual procurement amounting to tens of billions and thousands of supply chain partners provide the best opportunity to establish a resilient circular economy supply chain, giving new life to usable equipment retired from FET. The establishment of this circular economy shared platform is expected to drive upstream and downstream value chain partners to adopt innovative circular economy thinking, making FET's supply chain a model of environmental sustainability and shared development.
(1) Integrating Resources and Waste Recycling Management: In response to the merger with Asia Pacific Telecom, FET actively promotes network coverage optimization and energy-saving carbon reduction goals. In 2024, the consolidation and dismantling of overlapping base stations were completed, reducing resource duplication and energy consumption, and recycling reusable equipment and materials. Further, in 2025, the dismantling of redundant fixed network transmission cables will be initiated, with an estimated total length of 960 kilometers and a total weight of over 360 tons to be dismantled throughout the year. The dismantling operations will follow FET's existing cable construction and maintenance standard operating procedures, including quantity reporting, on-site supervision, photo documentation, and transportation to licensed waste treatment vendors for recycling and processing. Through rigorous management of various operational control points, effective tracking of waste logistics is ensured, preventing illegal dumping and fulfilling the commitment to environmental sustainability and resource recycling.
(2) Innovative Equipment Procurement and Carbon Footprint Reduction: In 2024, FET actively introduced 340 sets of advanced Ericsson dual-band and tri-band wireless communication equipment. The new tri-band three-sector wireless units achieved significant design breakthroughs: reducing device weight by 82%, volume by 87%, and average daily power consumption by 69% compared to old equipment. This not only significantly reduces deployment and maintenance costs but also contributes greatly to the overall reduction of the carbon footprint. As the scale of equipment expands, it effectively promotes the simplification and sustainable development of station facilities. As FET's main telecom equipment supplier, Ericsson actively promotes environmentally friendly and circular economic strategies, with comprehensive mechanisms for the recycling and processing of retired equipment. Relevant measures include:
A. Classification and refurbishment: Assessing the condition of recycled equipment and refurbishing it for reuse if it meets the criteria.
B. Recycling: Disassembling unusable equipment, separating metals, plastics, and electronic components by material, and handing them over to qualified recyclers who comply with environmental regulations (such as ISO 14001) to ensure no secondary pollution.
C. Data security and responsible destruction: Thoroughly clearing customer data from all recycled equipment before processing to ensure information security. Components that cannot be repaired or pose security risks are subject to responsible destruction procedures.
Ericsson also has a "Sustainable Product Management" policy that covers the entire product lifecycle from design to recycling, implementing environmental protection, carbon reduction, and sustainable development concepts.
(3) FET held three workshops related to circular economy topics between 2022 and 2024:
| 2022: Workshop on Co-Creating Innovative Circular Economy Value Chains with Suppliers |
FET invited suppliers in mobile phones, network equipment, computer peripherals, |
2023: Circular Economy |
The Company invited internal departments to participate in a circular economic |
2024: Sustainability Governance |
To build a low-carbon and sustainable supply chain, FET invited its suppliers to |
(4) Since 2022, FET has incorporated a “Circular Economy” section into its supplier ESG risk assessment questionnaire. This addition helps the company better understand suppliers’ current management practices and identify potential collaboration opportunities.
(5) FET launched the CARED – Circular Economy initiative and established the Circular Economy Shared Platform in 2023. Through this platform, the company lists decommissioned but reusable IT equipment, waste batteries, generators, and chillers, allowing suppliers to select and repurpose these items. This matchmaking mechanism promotes reuse and achieves circular economic goals. The Platform URL: https://www.fetnet.net/content/cbu/tw/digital-services/Sharing-Platform.html.
(6) FET pioneered the Smart Swappable Battery Backup System for Traffic Signals, repurposing decommissioned power batteries as energy sources for traffic lights. As of December 2024, the system has been deployed at 286 intersections across Taipei City, Chiayi City, and Kaohsiung City. This marks a concrete achievement in the company’s circular economy efforts and represents Taiwan’s first application of retired batteries in uninterrupted power systems.
4. Waste Flow and Integrated Management
FET achieved a 100% waste diversion rate for general waste in 2024, with 81% (203.68 metric tons) incinerated (Waste-to-Energy) and 19% (47.50 metric tons) recycled. For hazardous and non-hazardous industrial waste, based on national statistics from the Ministry of Environment, the company achieved a diversion rate of 81.15%, with 29.85% (365.54 metric tons) reused, 51.30% (628.21 metric tons) treated, and 18.85% (230.84 metric tons) landfilled. All data were verified by an independent third party, Green Mountain Sustainability CPA Firm.
Additionally, FET has joined Ericsson’s Global Product Take-Back Program since 2022. In 2024, the company achieved a 100% diversion rate for base station telecom equipment waste, with 95.63% recycled, 4.2% reused, 0.17% incinerated, and 0% landfilled. These figures, provided by Ericsson, were independently verified and exceeded the global average diversion rate of 98% (recycling and landfill rates at 98% and 2%, respectively).
Beyond internal reduction efforts, FET also implemented an integrated recycling program. Through active engagement between the procurement team and waste management vendors for paper, metals, batteries, and cables (both general and hazardous), the Company ensures proper disposal and strives to achieve zero landfill waste across the entire value chain.
Water Resource Management
1. Water Resource Usage Analysis and Monitoring
To further improve water usage efficiency, FET has implemented a comprehensive water usage assessment. This assessment includes continuous monitoring of water quality and quantity at major operational sites, with monthly evaluations of reasons for changes in water usage based on statistical information. According to the assessment, the company's water usage is mainly for air conditioning (81.61% of total water usage), followed by domestic water (18.39% of total water usage). Therefore, these two areas are the focus of FET’s water-saving efforts.
FET has used one of its sites as a pilot demonstration field to implement high-efficiency water utilization programs. The effectiveness of these programs is evaluated through regular data collection and performance indicator monitoring, with improvements made through the introduction of the ISO 46001 water resource management system to ensure continuous improvement in water efficiency at each site.
2. Water Conservation Goals, Actions, and Education and Training
FET promotes water conservation and improves water resource efficiency through the following measures, with an annual goal of reducing water usage by 1% compared to the previous year:
- Water resource risk assessment and management: FET has conducted a value chain assessment to identify areas highly dependent on water resources or susceptible to water quality and quantity impacts, using appropriate tools for water resource risk analysis.
- Water resource recycling and conservation: Regular equipment updates to improve water resource usage efficiency, reduce system drainage losses, and increase recycled water volume. For example, installing condensate recovery systems in air conditioning systems to reuse large amounts of cooling water.
- Smart water resource management system: Utilizing FET's telecom advantages in 4G, 5G, blockchain information and communication technology, IoT platforms, and cloud computing analysis tools to evaluate the construction of a smart water resource management system to improve water use efficiency and respond to water disasters.
- Water-saving measures: Using water-saving labeled equipment, installing rainwater storage systems in appropriate locations to reduce water usage, and using recycled cooling water for toilet flushing or plant irrigation to achieve optimal water resource recycling efficiency and sustainable use.
- Implementing all-employee training: Conducting annual environmental sustainability-related education and training in the fourth quarter, covering topics such as climate change, energy conservation, water conservation, waste reduction, and biodiversity.
3. Water Resource Management and Recycling
In addition to water-saving measures, FET is also committed to improving wastewater quality. Different projects have been implemented at designated sites, including "annual reduction of scale inhibitors in air conditioning water, retaining only chlorine tablets for bactericidal and algae control," "using wastewater for irrigation," and daily "cooling tower water-saving plans" and "improving water use efficiency (WUE) effectiveness."
The company's main source of wastewater is air conditioning wastewater. To improve wastewater quality, the following measures have been taken:
- Gradually adjusting the water treatment mode of air conditioning equipment in stages, gradually reducing the proportion of chemicals used in air conditioning water treatment: Reducing the use of chemicals in air conditioning water treatment annually can reduce the amount of cooling water discharged, achieving wastewater discharge reduction and quality improvement. The main component of chlorine tablets is hypochlorous acid, which has good bactericidal properties and can reduce the decomposition of hypochlorite ions due to sunlight exposure, resulting in poor bactericidal function.
- Reusing air conditioning wastewater for toilet flushing and plant irrigation in specific locations.
- Regularly testing the water quality of air conditioning cooling towers to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Installing rainwater recycling systems in newly constructed buildings for toilet flushing and plant irrigation.