Sprint Releases Findings of Industry-First Trucost Supply-Chain Carbon Report

Trucost assessment provides comprehensive analysis of Sprint’s supply-chain carbon footprint

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), March 16, 2011 – Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S, news, filings), together with Trucost, today released the findings of a comprehensive Scope 3 supply-chain assessment. Trucost’s detailed assessment examines Sprint’s total supply-chain carbon emissions and quantifies and identifies “hot spots” where Sprint can focus its efforts. Sprint is the first wireless carrier to complete and publicly release such a thorough supplier carbon assessment. Sprint will use the Trucost data to define and implement further plans to effectively manage and reduce supplier emissions.

“Sprint is proud to be the first in the telecom sector to collaborate with Trucost to complete a comprehensive analysis of our supply chain’s carbon emissions,” said Ralph Reid, Sprint vice president-Corporate Social Responsibility. “We believe Trucost’s approach is a breakthrough that finally facilitates a cost-effective, fast and timely assessment of a corporation’s supply-chain carbon impact. The barriers to completing a supply-chain carbon assessment have been substantial, preventing most corporations from taking this important step in understanding their total carbon impact.”

Trucost’s fast, affordable proprietary approach to assessing Scope 3 supply-chain emissions produces a detailed evaluation of the carbon performance of suppliers, helping corporations identify and manage environmental risks and opportunities along the supply chain. Trucost’s Scope 3 supply-chain assessment outlines the source of CO2 emissions, giving an indication of where a supplier’s carbon burden lies, be it is within direct operations (Scope 1), electricity suppliers (Scope 2), first-tier suppliers (Scope 3 – First Tier), or with all other suppliers further up the supply chain (Scope 3 – All Others).

“Measuring and understanding carbon footprints is the first step toward managing and reducing them,” said Cary Krosinsky, Trucost senior vice president. “Carbon emissions are increasingly resulting in financial costs for companies, and by undertaking such a thorough carbon assessment of its supply chain, Sprint Nextel is taking a major step toward effectively reducing its overall carbon footprint.”

The Trucost study of Sprint’s Scope 3 supply chain was completed in just four weeks, at a fraction of the cost of more traditional Scope 3 supplier assessments. The methodology by which Trucost evaluated Sprint’s Scope 3 supply chain complies with guidance in the most recent World Resources Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Scope 3 Accounting and Reporting Standard. Key findings of Trucost’s report for Sprint include:

• Sprint’s supplier emissions total 2.08M metric tons of CO2, slightly more than Sprint’s total direct and indirect emissions of 1.95M metric tons in 2009.
• The top 50 suppliers of Sprint’s supply chain account for more than 94 percent of the total carbon footprint.
• Trucost’s analysis covers 98 percent of Sprint’s supply-chain expenditure.

Sprint’s leadership in environmental sustainability continues to receive recognition. For the second year in a row, Sprint ranked highest among all U.S. telecom companies on Newsweek’s 2010 Rankings of America’s Greenest Companies at No. 6, up from No. 15 in 2009. Sprint was also ranked highest among the wireless carrier industry on the Carbon Disclosure Project’s “Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index.” In addition, Sprint received the “Sustainability Leadership Award” at the 2010 International Electronics Recycling Conference and Expo (IERCE) for its leadership among wireless carriers in the recycling of mobile handsets.

To learn more about Sprint programs that protect the environment, go to www.sprint.com/responsibility or follow @SprintGreenNews on Twitter.

ABOUT TRUCOST

Trucost was established in 2000, to help companies, investors and governments understand and quantify the environmental impacts of business activities. Over the past 10 years Trucost has collected, researched and validated environmental data from organizations across the world. The result is the world’s most comprehensive data on corporate environmental impacts, covering chemicals and metals. This enables our clients to access:

• The most efficient approach to measuring GHG emissions and wider environmental impacts across organizations, supply chains and investment portfolios;
• Clear identification of priority areas to reduce environmental impacts;
• Validation of source data, including completion of gaps in data which are not currently tracked or reported on;
• Comparison of environmental performance against peers, sectors and investment benchmarks;
• The ability to create investment products that lower exposure to environmental costs.

www.trucost.com

ABOUT SPRINT NEXTEL

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 49.9 million customers at the end of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.