The MTN Group has made significant strides in the last year to homogenise standards across its operations to ensure the impacts of its activities on the natural environment are managed effectively. Environmental performance across the Group is in line with international industry standards, and continuous efforts are being made to improve on our performance.

The direct and indirect environmental impacts of the Group's activities include, in particular, the impacts associated with the installation and operation of our towers and base installation sites, as well as the more generic impacts associated with the administration of a large business organisation. From an environmental perspective, the telecommunications sector is typically classified as being of "medium impact".

• Emissions, including electro magnetic fields and carbon dioxide, from base stations, handsets and vehicles;
• Noise pollution form base station generators;
• Aesthetic issues around base station sighting;
• Product stewardship, including the recycling of phones and re-charge vouchers; and
• Direct energy and water use and waste generation

Performance highlights

• MTN South Africa currently maintains its ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 accreditations and is approximately 60% aligned with OHSAS 18000 certification standards.
• MTN South Africa has implemented a risk-based environmental management system and is well advanced in implementing a risk-based safety and health management system. The MTN Group aims to extend South African SHE operating standards across the Group.

• MTN South Africa and Cameroon have site-sharing agreements in place with their respective competitors aimed reducing infrastructure costs and the environmental impact associated with building base stations

• MTN South Africa has embarked on an e-waste initiative that ensures electronic equipment is disposed of responsibly by specialist contractors. Specific emphasis is placed on the disposal of plastic associated with computers.

Emissions, effluents and waste

• The MTN Group’s activities result in limited emissions to air or water. Emissions are generated mainly from air travel, vehicle fuel supply and base station power generation. MTN also recognises public concerns on potential health hazards associated with electrical emissions from everyday cellphone use and the disposal of used and damaged phones and accessories. The Group promotes the responsible life-cycle management of all its product sets including products used in the office, by active product disposal, re-use or recycling initiatives.
• The Group is conscious of the need to ensure effective management of any hazardous materials and has procedures in place to monitor and regulate the use of certain materials such as ozone depleting substances, asbestos, leadbased paints and batteries containing heavy metals.

Products and services

Product stewardship

Scratch cards

• The disposal of recharge cards constitutes an indirect waste stream generated by the Group’s business operations. As operating units have varied product distribution channels and customers randomly dispose of recharge cards, disposal activities cannot be pro-actively managed by MTN’s operations to prevent negative environmental and social impacts. Despite this challenge, MTN attempts to limit the effects of scratch cards on the environment by continuing to purchase biodegradable scratch cards in accordance with the requirements of national environmental authorities, emphasizing the use of biodegradable plastics and promoting the use of virtual airtime top-ups.