Global telecom operators are generating significantly higher carbon emissions in Bangladesh than in most of their developed markets, according to company disclosures, raising concerns among environmental advocates about gaps in global climate accountability.
In 2024, Norway-based Telenor reported its highest greenhouse gas emissions in Bangladesh across all its global operations. Emissions linked to its Bangladeshi subsidiary, Grameenphone, reached 280,000 tonnes of CO₂, exceeding emissions in Pakistan (210,000 tonnes) and far surpassing those in Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. Bangladesh is also Telenor’s second-largest revenue-generating market, contributing nearly NOK 15 billion in 2024.
Robi Axiata, another major Bangladeshi telecom operator, reported the second-highest emissions within its parent company, Malaysia’s Axiata Group Berhad. Robi’s scope 1 and 2 emissions totalled 234,000 tonnes in 2024, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the group’s total emissions. Company disclosures indicate that Robi produces more carbon emissions relative to turnover than Grameenphone.
Both operators attribute higher emissions to Bangladesh’s carbon-intensive energy mix, heavy reliance on diesel generators due to grid instability, rapid network expansion, and rising data consumption. Grameenphone noted that while its Nordic operations benefit from renewable electricity and established green power procurement frameworks, Bangladesh lacks fully operational mechanisms despite recent policy approvals for corporate renewable energy access.
Environmental experts argue that multinational companies are exploiting weaker emissions obligations in developing countries under the Paris Agreement. M Zakir Hossain Khan, chief executive of climate think tank Change Initiative, said firms tend to aggressively cut emissions in developed markets while continuing carbon-intensive operations in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Activists are calling for stronger domestic policies, including carbon taxes and participation in international carbon markets, to address what they describe as rising “climate debt.” Without stricter measures, they warn that emissions linked to foreign multinationals will continue to grow alongside profits, deepening environmental and economic vulnerabilities.
