Nokia: How Sustainability can Support Data Centres

Subhagata (Subho) Mukherjee, Vice President and Global Head of Sustainability at Nokia, is an important figure in steering the company towards its sustainability objectives. 

Since joining the company in 2008, Subho has undertaken various roles in communications, marketing and strategy before focussing on ESG and sustainability in 2023.

Under his leadership, Nokia advanced its net zero target by a decade, now aiming for 2040 instead of 2050.

The company also set a revised 2030 goal to fully decarbonise its operations.

Alongside providing data centre networks and equipment, Nokia a global leader in telecommunications infrastructure and networking solutions.

“Nokia has a history of over 165 years and the company's focus and belief in an equitable society as well as the power of technology and driving a sustainable outcome for the people and the planet has always been there,” he tells Sustainability Magazine.

“I think the biggest achievement of Nokia, irrespective of which year we are in, is that focus and the belief in the company's purpose.”

Nokia’s 2040 target has since been validated by the SBTi.

At Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC 2025, Subho is set to give a keynote presentation.

Secure your place at the event to hear from Subho.

Moving net zero forward

Nokia’s decision to accelerate its net zero commitment stems from the urgency of ongoing climate challenges.

Subho says: “What really changed is the fact that we are living on a planet where every month, almost for the last several years, the world is heating up. 

“We as humans are living on a planet where we have crossed several global thresholds. This is not just a thing of what will happen to our next generation and us, it has a near term impact on businesses. 

Billions of people, he explains, rely on the networks Nokia puts in.

In 2024 there were many “terrible” global warming effects which made it “almost impossible” for Nokia’s service engineers to work in the middle of the day. 

“There is an impact on every company, every industry, every value chain. Today, not a hundred years from now.”

This is not just a business issue for Nokia, but also for its customers.

The company serves more than 600 global telecom operators and more than a thousand enterprises in different industries.

“If, as a player in the ICT industry, we don't accelerate and leap forward to bring the target to 2040, we can't expect the energy sector to take the benefit of it and reach the Paris agreement goal of 2050,” he explains.

Get your place at Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC 2025 to hear from Subho.

The Network Effect

The network effect refers to the phenomenon where a product or service becomes more valuable as more people use it.

If only one person has a telephone, it is useless. As more people own them, each device becomes more useful due to increased connectivity. 

These are distinct from economies of scale, operating on the demand side by increasing user willingness to join or pay rather than lowering production costs.

This is the title of Subho’s keynote presentation at Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC 2025. 

Secure your place at the event to hear from Subho.

About Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC 2025

Bringing together policymakers, innovators and business leaders, Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC 2025 creates a collaborative space for shaping solutions to the world’s most pressing climate challenges. 

It is a platform where digital innovation meets policy ambition, with the shared goal of accelerating progress towards net zero.

Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC forms part of a wider global series that provides a leading stage for dialogue and innovation.

In New York, attendees can expect discussions spanning ESG data, corporate reporting standards, climate finance, supply chain transparency and the role of digital platforms in advancing sustainability.

The event will not only showcase pioneering solutions but also highlight the partnerships needed to embed reliable, data-driven practices across industries.

Secure your place to attend to avoid missing out on the conversation.