SUSTAINABILITY

The data deficit is a universal problem for sustainability professionals. As Nokia’ s Subhagata confirms, it is the single biggest obstacle to progress.“ Personally, as for my role in our world of sustainability, one of the biggest challenges is data. Unless we know what’ s happening in our operations, in our supply chain, in our products, in our customers’ networks or in our entire value chain, it’ s impossible to make an impact.”

This is where external stakeholders – particularly regulators and investors – play a vital role in fostering a more unified approach and breaking down industry silos.“ If regulators and investors can come together and play a catalyst role,” Rakesh argues.“ How? By enabling the clear, precise and not only sectorspecific but collaborative goals for regulations to ensure that we will continue to invest in sustainability.”

A framework for change: Reimagining the path to sustainability To translate ambition into action, the white paper introduces the RITAM( Reimagine Technology Acceptance Model). It is a five-step framework( Identify, Prioritise, Design & Validate, Adapt, Monitor) designed to embed sustainability into an organisation’ s core strategy. For Rakesh, the model is a call to action to rethink every aspect of the business fundamentally.

“ We have to reimagine the current way of working in people, process, technology and infrastructure,” he insists.

The lower carbon impact of reused telecom equipment compared to new hardware

The reimagined approach is crucial for overcoming common hurdles like high initial investment costs and internal resistance. Rather than pursuing a costly and disruptive“ big bang” overhaul, RITAM advocates for a more measured, datadriven methodology that de-risks projects and proves ROI. Rakesh challenges operators to consider the consequences of simple replacement strategies:“ What happens to the product which you have removed? That is again garbage, like a waste material.” Instead of the wasteful approach, he advocates for a more thoughtful process.“ So rather than doing in a big bang approach of conversions, go with the statistical methodological

130 November 2025