An article by Dr. Olga Nevska, Managing Director of Telekom MobilitySolutions, about Deutsche Telekom's mobility strategy and a new platform that will make it possible to switch from one's own car to shared transportation starting in 2022. Not only for Telekom employees.
In recent days, almost 200 nations agreed on a climate pact at the World Climate Conference in Glasgow. The joint declaration aims to reduce emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases worldwide by 45 percent by 2030. A breakthrough? Only time will tell. A UN conference can only define rules, and it has done so. Implementation is now in the hands of the countries involved. And they must act now. It is not enough to focus solely on politics. It is up to all of us. Standing by and watching is no longer an option!
From #GreenMagenta to #GreenMobility: we have understood
At Deutsche Telekom, we take climate targets very seriously. Today, our customers are already surfing the 'green network'. From 2040, we want to be climate neutral, i.e., no longer leaving a CO₂ footprint. By 2025, we will reduce our direct and indirect emissions to zero. That includes those caused by the use of gas, diesel or oil, for example.
And that brings us to the topic of mobility, one of the key levers on the way to achieving our goal: With around 24,000 cars, Telekom operates the second-largest vehicle fleet in Germany. And the trend is downward - because it is already shrinking by around 1,000 vehicles a year, since modern technologies mean that we have fewer maintenance calls for our customers. We are also using more efficient vehicles and alternative drive systems. This has already enabled us to reduce the CO₂ emissions of our fleet by more than 40 percent since 2008. With our Green Car Policy, we are also creating incentives for drivers of company vehicles to increasingly choose electric vehicles. And we enable all employees to leave their cars behind as often as possible, for example with job tickets and bicycles and by offering a railcard.
But all this is just a first step toward decarbonization. In the future, shared mobility, consisting of a mix of different mobility providers, will take the place of one's own car. However, this change will only succeed if public and shared means of transportation are just as easy to use and available at any time as one's own car.
Mobility-as-a-Service: Transforming transportation through digitization and connectivity
Our vision is to realize sustainable and guaranteed mobility for all employees in the Group. And later also for the general population. Digitization offers us the opportunity to provide all users with the best possible flexible mobility experience. Together with our technology partner Hacon, we at Telekom MobilitySolutions have accepted the task of developing a digital platform that links all modes of transport. Commuters and travelers access a variety of public transportation options in a region via an innovative app. The app configures the desired route according to their personal preferences. From planning to booking and execution to billing across all providers - customers receive everything from a single source. Public transport services, micro mobility services such as e-scooters and rental bikes, as well as car sharing, ride hailing and ride pooling are all connected.
Platform launch in Cologne-Bonn metropolitan region
The partnership between Telekom and Stadtwerke Bonn (SWB) will initially open up the Rhein-Sieg Transport Association (VRS) and thus the Cologne-Bonn metropolitan area. The signing of the contract in September, together with the Mayor of the City of Bonn, marked the start of the development.
With this new platform, Deutsche Telekom is continuing on its path to sustainable, connected and guaranteed mobility and living up to its DNA as a digital champion. We are making complex technology simple and once again taking responsibility for people and a more sustainable approach to our environment.
The new platform will enter the pilot phase in spring 2022.
