Airtel Africa·Telecommunications·Last verified 2 August 2026
45
out of 100
Below expectationsPending ReviewMixed evidence· 9 src

Airtel Africa scores 45/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment — scored from public data only, no company payment can change a number. Last verified August 2026.

That places Airtel Africa joint 160th of 591 companies scored, and joint 7th of 12 in Telecommunications.

Airtel Africa publishes GHG data across three scopes but lacks third-party verification and absolute reduction targets. Absolute emissions rose every year; the 2032 goal is intensity-only. Diesel dependency in sub-Saharan markets remains substantial despite solar conversion efforts. Governance is sound but targets are misaligned with climate science.

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The calculation

How is Airtel Africa's SINK score calculated?

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Telecommunications sector ceiling.
55 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
44 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 55) + (0.7 × 44) = 47.3
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.95
Final score
Rounded. Below expectations.
45 / 100
The ten questions

What is Airtel Africa doing well, and where does it fall short?

Strongest on Controversies & Red Flags and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (2/10, 3/10).

Where the evidence comes from

What evidence is Airtel Africa's score based on?

9 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

[1]Self-reported
Airtel Africa Sustainability Report 2025

we are working towards obtaining independent assurance on sustainability KPIs in future reporting cycles

2025
Q1Q2Q3Q4Q5Q6Q7Q9
View →
[2]Self-reported
Airtel Africa Sustainability Report 2026

our 2024/25 scope 3 emissions have been calculated using this revised approach and amounted to 741,777 tCO2e

2026
Q2
View →
[3]Third-party verified
Tracenable — Airtel Africa GHG Emissions

In 2025, total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Airtel Africa amounted to 134,020 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.

Unknown
Q1
View →
[4]Public record
Sustainability Magazine — Airtel Africa Constrains Emissions Amid Rapid Expansion

Scope 1 and 2 emissions reaching 136,133 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent, representing only a 1.6% year-on-year increase

Unknown
Q3
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[5]Public record
FinTech Magazine — How Airtel Africa Is Scaling Fintech While Cutting Emissions

532 tonnes of electronic network waste, with no e-waste sent to landfill

Unknown
Q6Q9
View →
[6]Public record
AU Startups — African Telecom Towers Solar Shift Diesel Costs

Airtel Africa, in partnership with ENGIE Energy Access, has cut diesel use by over half at sites in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Unknown
Q4
View →
[7]Self-reported
Airtel Africa Official — Reduction of GHG Emissions

Our ambition is to reduce our scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity by 62% from baseline and achieve net zero by 2050.

Unknown
Q8
View →
[8]Public record
CSR Reporters — Airtel's Green Schools Initiative and Corporate Sustainability

biggest criticisms increasingly directed at African corporate sustainability programmes is what governance analysts describe as 'launch-event CSR'

Unknown
Q10
View →
[9]Self-reported
Airtel Africa Official — Environmental Stewardship

Airtel Kenya, in collaboration with the National Environment Management Authority, Kenya Forest Service and the Kileleshwa's Residents' Association, led a tree planting event

Unknown
Q5
View →

If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.

Airtel Africa in context

How does Airtel Africa compare with other telecommunications companies?

Where Airtel Africa sits among telecommunications peers.

Among the 12 major telecommunications brands we've scored, Airtel Africa is tied =7th of 12, with 1 other.

=7/12
Airtel Africa's rank
47
Industry average
38
Industry low
55
Industry high
How this score has moved

Has Airtel Africa's score changed?

today

Score history begins .

As Airtel Africa's score updates, the trajectory will appear here.

We're backfilling historical scores for FTSE 100 and S&P 100 companies over the coming weeks.

What's being contested

Has Airtel Africa's score been challenged?

This score is not currently being contested.

Every challenge is published. We'd rather be corrected than wrong — that's the whole point.

No challenges submitted yet. If you have evidence that contradicts this score, you can challenge any question above — cite a public source and we'll review it.

About Airtel Africa

Airtel Africa is a mobile telecommunications and mobile money operator across 14 sub-Saharan African countries. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Amsterdam, it operates networks in markets including Kenya, Zambia, DRC, and Tanzania, providing voice, data, and fintech services to over 150 million customers.

Founded
Headquarters
Netherlands
Employees
~18,000
Annual revenue
~$4.96B
Company website ↗
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