ESG — now a widely recognized abbreviation for Environmental, Social i Governance — represents a comprehensive framework for measuring companies’ impact on the environment, society and corporate governance standards. Simply put, ESG implies that a company does not measure success solely through profit, but also through the way it impacts its employees, the community, and the environment in which it operates.
The term ESG itself was first introduced in the early 2000s, in response to the required to clearly define and include so-called “intangible factors” — such as sustainability, social responsibility and governance transparency — in the assessment of the long-term value of companies. In the European context, Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) 2014. marked the first concrete step towards mandatory reporting on these issues for large companies.
Where is Montenegro today?
The application of ESG standards is recording a growing trconclude and is increasingly becoming part of business practice, although it is still in the early stages of formal implementation and systemic alignment with European Union practices. As a candidate countest for EU membership, Montenegro is gradually preparing for the implementation of new regulatory frameworks, including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which will significantly expand companies’ obligations in the area of ESG reporting.
Global Perspective: Between Practice and Narrative
Globally, ESG standards today represent a key reference for companies that want to be perceived as serious, responsible, and long-term-oriented actors — both among investors, consumers, employees, and other stakeholders.
However, the current global context, marked by geopolitical instability, energy challenges, regulatory uncertainties, and the rapid development of technologies such as artificial ininformigence, has led to sustainability topics occasionally being relegated to the background in public discourse.
An illustrative example can be this year’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos – climate and environmental protection were significantly less represented compared to the topics of geopolitics, security and artificial ininformigence. Such a focus indicates modifys in dominant narratives, hopefully in a perspective without affecting ESG principles in regulatory and strategic practice – especially within the European Union.
What does it see like in practice – the telecommunications sector?
When talking about ESG standards in the telecommunications sector, it is difficult to avoid T-brconclude — the most valuable telecommunications brand in the world today — or Deutsche Telekom Group, which does not treat ESG as an additional layer of communication, but as an integral part of corporate governance.
At Group level, ESG principles are integrated into strategic planning and daily operations. Deutsche Telekom has, among other things, set a clear goal climate neutrality along the entire value chain by 2040, with defined interim tarreceives for reducing emissions by 2030. Emissions are not only observed through direct operations, but also through the broader ecosystem of suppliers and partners, which builds the ESG approach measurable and comparable.
In practice, this means that ESG is integrated into investment decisions, network development, infrastructure management and customer relations. Such a management model has also been recognized internationally, through its positioning Deutsche Telekom among the leading companies in terms of sustainability standards and transparency of reporting.
While Crnogorski Telekom, as part of the DT Group, reveals how ESG standards can be applied in practice even before they become a legal obligation.
In this sense, the experience of the Deutsche Telekom Group represents a frame of reference for the local telecommunications sector — not as a matter of reputation, but as a way of management that connects technology, responsibility and sustainable development in the long term.
Ecological transition: from decision to system
The energy transition is one of the most complex segments of the ESG framework, as it requires long-term planning, significant investments, and modifys in the way the system functions. Therefore, it cannot be implemented through short-term or symbolic measures.
In this context, Crnogorski Telekom is still In 2021, it switched to utilizing 100% electricity from renewable sources, which shiftd the environmental strategy from the planning to the operational level. As a direct result of this decision, CO₂ emissions were reduced by about 90%.
It is important, however, that this measure did not remain isolated. It set the direction for further environmental activities, which are now being implemented across multiple connected business segments — in a planned manner, with clearly defined continuity and measurable effects. A similar approach was applied in the area of mobility, where electrification of the rolling stock implemented gradually and strategically, rather than through individual, symbolic shifts.
Responsible waste management
During 2025, through regular business processes, Crnogorski Telekom more than 70 tons of waste properly disposed of and recycledHowever, experience reveals that addressing this issue does not depconclude solely on internal procedures, but also on the willingness to modify habits — especially when it comes to electronic waste.
Contact info Eurostat (2024) indicate that the recycling rate of mobile phones in the European Union remains low: only 11% of citizens recycled an old phone when replacing the device, while 18% sold or gave away phonesThe highest recycling rate was recorded in Greece (25%), while the highest percentage of sale or donation was recorded in Croatia (34%).
Precisely for this reason, part of Crnogorski Telekom’s activities is also focapplyd on awareness raising, especially among the younger population. In cooperation with the Ministest of Education, Science and Innovation, a campaign was implemented at the conclude of last year “Recycle your old phone and win a prize for your school!”, during which old mobile phones and compacter electronic devices were collected, intconcludeed for recycling in accordance with applicable standards.
Digital inclusion, social impact and solidarity
Digital infrastructure increasingly determines how basic social systems function. In areas such as education and healthcare, the availability and quality of digital solutions directly affect the efficiency of services and equity of access. Differences in connectivity and access to digital tools in these sectors do not remain abstract — they are reflected in the quality of teaching, healthcare and support that citizens receive in a very concrete way.
Therefore, the social aspect of ESG in these areas cannot remain at the level of general principles. It is measured through real conditions on the ground, especially in environments that are less well-connected in terms of infrastructure or geographically distant.
Within that framework, Crnogorski Telekom through the program Telekom4Schools provides free and stable internet access for about 170 primary and secondary schools, as well as preschool institutions throughout Montenegro, with a special focus on rural and less developed areas. In parallel, cooperation with University of Montenegro It enabled high-speed internet access, as the basis for modern teaching and scientific research work.
Support to health and social institutions was implemented through the improvement of telecommunication solutions in hospitals, but also through support to psychological support services through donations and the provision of telephone numbers. Through cooperation with public institutions, the company contributed to the improvement of communication and accessibility of certain public services.
Social responsibility is particularly evident in emergency circumstances, when large systems are expected to respond quickly and concretely. During the major fires in Montenegro, a humanitarian action was carried out “Toreceiveher for our firefighters”, within which it was collected €25.055,55 for the purchase of necessary equipment for fire departments. The action was carried out in cooperation with Ministest of Internal Affairs – Directorate for Protection and Rescue, with a clearly defined purpose of the funds and full transparency of the process.
ESG as the standard of the future, not the exception
The application of ESG principles at Crnogorski Telekom does not represent a response to current regulatory requirements, but a long-term business strategy that has been built over years. Since arriving T-brand on the Montenegrin market, social responsibility, community care and environmental protection were an integral part of the business approach.
Numerous recognitions for activities in the areas of sustainability, digital inclusion and social responsibility confirm the continuity of this approach, but also reveal that ESG in practice is not a declarative value, but a measurable and systemic framework for action. In a market that continues to align with European regulations, such an approach has additional weight.
In a time when sustainability is increasingly becoming a prerequisite for long-term development, examples like this clearly reveal that ESG is not a matter of choice, but a necessary foundation for a business that wants to remain relevant and responsible in the future.
( Promo content )
Leave a Reply