Can you talk about you or your company’s efforts relating to renewability, sustainability or other environmentally- friendly activities?

Telenor aims to onboard 68% of its suppliers by spend, within purchased goods, services, and capital goods, to set science-based targets within 2025. Telenor has also entered into a ten-year Power Purchase Agreement with a Nordic supplier to supply of renewable energy to power Telenor’s Norwegian operations. In 2020, Telenor collected and recycled more than 2.5m handsets and mobile batteries.

Why are in-house lawyers well-placed to drive change in their organisations?

In my experience, the role of in-house lawyers has evolved from support to changemakers and strategic business partners. They are equipped with the expertise to anticipate changes in regulations and adapt a global approach within their organisation. In-house lawyers are considered to be an organisation’s gatekeepers, ensuring compliance with laws, and staying updated on, and implementing regulatory changes, effective policies and procedures. In-house lawyers play a strategic role in driving change within the organisation and third parties.

It can be difficult to truly measure a company’s track record and accomplishments in terms of their environmentally friendly behaviour. What do you think has, until now, been mostly missed when discussing how green a company is?

While a company could be eco-friendly, its supply chain may not be. This may be due to cost, jurisdictional constraints, lack of awareness or local laws. Therefore, the nature of a company’s supply chain determines how quickly a climate agenda can be executed. To achieve environmentally friendly behaviour, the industries need collective action, and companies are required to collaborate with each other. Changing the entire supply chain of a business to use more sustainable materials and sources may take years. However, it is a pressing issue that requires attention.