Tech
Interview: Orange Business’s Jérôme Goulard on making telecoms greener and cleaner | Computer Weekly
In under a decade, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) have become key to synthesising cross-domain knowledge and technical mechanisms that drive organisational environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks – and Orange Business’s Jérôme Goulard has been there throughout.
Joining Orange’s B2B division sales team in 1995, Goulard’s roles included head of banking and insurance large accounts, head of the IT services business unit and vice-president of B2B customer experience. Ultimately, he became CSO “a bit more than” five years ago, adding: “I used to be on sales, proposing services. Now I see the impacts of what we propose from another angle.”
Goulard currently heads up the Orange Business approach to sustainable IT, liaising with teams across sales, operations, human resources (HR) and sourcing. The role appealed for its ability to give him a new perspective on the business, he says.
Goulard’s global view of all job lines means he has been able to lead changes in hardware lifecycle management, reducing carbon impacts by scaling up use of refurbished network kit from routers to switches and Wi-Fi terminals. In 2023 alone, 50,000 out of 130,000 units deployed were refurbished, saving the company €15m (£13m) in capital expenditure.
The questions that keep Goulard up at night these days are less about how to drive sales that contribute to the bottom line and more about how he can help the company design its offers to customers in a different way.
Post-Paris 2024, Goulard has been overseeing the redeployment of IT equipment used at Olympics events. So far, around 90% of the Wi-Fi terminals and 78% of network switches have been moved to La Poste locations across France, preventing thousands of devices from becoming e-waste as well as supporting the national post service’s network modernisation efforts.
“The initial commitment was to reduce by 50% the impact per customer. At that time, and we are still in that trend, we know that digital services are growing – the current trend being generative AI [GenAI],” Goulard says. “Therefore we wanted to measure it per customer. Around 2010, we began to launch our Green IT&Networks [ITN] programme about all the infrastructure, equipment and networks we use.”
In 2024, the Green ITN programme saved 1,358 GWh of electricity and 127 million litres of fuel oil.
Strategy builds on results
Strategy has evolved in the past five years or so with Goulard at the helm. Sustainability is now a “major pillar” of Orange Business’s strategic Lead the Future plan, including updated milestone commitments for 2025, 2030 and 2040 reductions in Scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Latest figures suggest their targets are within reach, he says, putting Orange Business firmly on track for 2030’s goal of Scopes 1, 2 and 3 of -45% versus 2020, with net zero a “final milestone” in 2040.
“We will reduce Scopes 1 and 2 by 30% in 2025 when compared to 2015, and Scope 3 by 14% compared to 2018,” Goulard says, noting that five years ago the key ESG topics comprised just 20 PowerPoint slides.
Orange has also pledged to increase European recycling of mobile devices in Europe to over 30% by end 2025.
Goulard agrees that AI is one of the major sustainability challenges. He has been supporting Orange partner Mistral AI in its quest for transparency to deliver the data needed to manage impacts, then applying similar thinking to Orange Business’ Live Intelligence product. The idea is that customers can see the carbon impacts of their usage. The principle is to encourage the choice of lower-impact approaches wherever possible.
In Goulard’s case, he focuses most on environmental aspects, with the HR team taking on more of the “social” in its ESG targets. And that has been “quite exciting”, he says, adding: “Sustainability was more of a cherry on the cake, rather than embedded in our activities, processes and products. I really had to create a whole ecosystem, internally and externally.”
“Sustainability was more of a cherry on the cake … I had to create a whole ecosystem, internally and externally”
Jérôme Goulard, Orange Business
Of course, sustainability isn’t just about marketing, sales and sourcing. However, increasingly, sustainability entails close work with financial teams, customers, suppliers and all the various job lines. Managing financial and extra-financial topics together can be key to multiple business objectives. Deloitte has described the CSO role as being a “chief sense-maker” – making sense and connections out of myriad sources of truth and requirements.
“Indeed, that’s what I do today,” Goulard says. “In the past, I had people saying they like sustainability because they like nature, trees and so on. Rather, what we actually have to do is mobilise the impact of our services.”
For Goulard, that includes working with suppliers to get data, then organising and structuring that to define trajectories and their levers. He concentrates on identifying services that affect sustainability and how to reduce their environmental impact.
That has meant developing multiple tools for interacting with the entirety of information in Orange Business databases and working out how to share key data in a structured way. Transparency, one of the major obstacles to efficiency and savings across supply chains, is being realised now after years of work.
“And we see it more in the requests from our customers. They give us some Excel files, information that they would like to collect on what we do, and we do the same with our suppliers,” he says. “So, we are beginning to optimise a bit of this information, so that we can mobilise the whole activity.”
Understanding data is essential
Additionally, Goulard believes that everything done in sustainability should be public information, from methodologies to data. Data formats must be defined so they enable supplier and customer interactions that are mutually beneficial because sustainability is ultimately about ecosystems, he points out.
“We have also begun to create a consulting practice around data and managing ESG. We just had our first launch customer that is working with us on that topic,” he says. “We are working with their factories to get all the information and to organise it in software.”
Goulard is also involved in the Orange partners to net-zero programme, which is about formalising progress plans with suppliers, and is the first such Orange group programme to include large suppliers. For example, there’s a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for decarbonisation of common services to its customers with Cisco, which is about identifying “key levers” where the companies can work together.
“Again, it’s about data, and Cisco will be our first partner to have an application programming interface [API] connected directly to the software that we are implementing to manage carbon trajectories and modernisation of our services,” says Goulard.
“Before, I tended to see sustainability fragmented into carbon, energy, water, biodiversity and waste. But working as CSO, I now see sustainability as systemic, deeply tied to issues like digital inclusion, responsible innovation, ethics in AI, and social and societal impacts.”
In addition, Goulard works with the Orange innovation and R&D team on eco-design. Again, that’s about measuring what you do and working out how to reduce it, modernising customer and partner proposals. One result has been improvements to nickel designs for private mobile network solutions.
“We have launched a practice and I have my team working on eco-design of our services. How do we measure the impact, identify the key components, and what we could do in the infrastructure, equipment and services to reduce the carbon impact?” Goulard says.
Most countries understand that sustainability may be key if they are to remain competitive in the mid-term, even if not directly. Many companies in Asia as well as Europe are working to reduce their impact or developing adaptation plans. Today, many accept that climate change is happening as shown by impacts on activities, infrastructures, floods, extreme heat and so on, Goulard points out.
He strongly believes that sustainability should cross all teams, activities and services, and says he is most proud of his “transversal team, the Green Act Leaders” representing all entities and job roles of Orange Business.
Drawing many threads together
The cross-division, broad-perspective approach has been crucial in driving efficiencies and new operational models as well as savings – for instance, when it comes to sourcing. It adds up to real results, including an enriched relationship with customers, providers and partners, as well as employee engagement, Goulard says.
He is proud that Orange was rated 84 out of 100 by EcoVadis, a France-based sustainable-procurement platform and ratings provider, in 2025, including 100 out of 100 for environmental aspects, adding: “Globally, we see that there are ’some geopolitics’ in ‘communication’ that suggest there’s a backlash [against net zero]. But there are still a lot of companies working on sustainability, and I see that in the requests from our customers. We still see a lot of information requested on that topic.”
Unsurprisingly, a CSO having access to the Orange board of directors can be crucial. Goulard confirms that sustainability is now a board-level topic at Orange, not a side conversation as it has sometimes been seen in years past. He works directly with the board to ensure sustainability goals align with business strategy, services portfolio, operations and risk management.
“Having that seat at the table means we can embed sustainability into the company’s long-term vision for net-zero and supporting clients on their own ESG journeys,” says Goulard. “This is also about preparing for the future – for instance, through our climate risk adaptation plan, rare resources planning in our sourcing and development of innovative solutions.”
It remains a difficult task to develop sustainability initiatives that can touch on everything from security to employee relations. Focus on short-term benefits and short-term activities can come naturally to many organisations as a matter of survival. It can also become habitual, but that’s why the challenge satisfies.
Further, what Goulard sees in France and around Europe is that there is interest in more long-term thinking. Specifically, most companies continue to maintain their commitments, activities and requests for information on how to work together on reducing environmental impacts, including at the international level, he says.
Tech
I Tested Garmin Watches for a Decade While Hiking, Biking, and Climbing. Here’s What You Should Buy
Last year, Garmin introduced a Pro version that incorporates the inReach’s satellite communications savvy. Not only does it cost at least $400 more than the Apple Watch Ultra and $200 more than the regular Fenix 8, but you also have to pay for the inReach subscription plan, which has several tiers and ranges from $8/month to $50/month depending on whether you want features like unlimited texting or sending photo messages.
What you get for this mind-boggling price is a sports watch that can do anything and everything. It has best-in-class battery life (every Fenix can last for weeks on a single charge, and up to a month with solar charging) and features like the depth sensor from Garmin’s Descent line, which means this watch works as a full-on dive computer for scuba and free diving. It has a microphone and speaker for basic voice commands (although no onboard cellular connectivity), the surprisingly useful built-in LED flashlight, and Garmin’s signature built-in topographic maps, 24/7 health monitoring, and tracking for over a hundred different activities.
I’ve taken the 51-mm version on pretty much every outdoor sport—snowboarding, trail running, mountain biking, and rock climbing. Every time I use it, its capabilities far outclass my own. I have irritated many a fellow climber by attempting to track route difficulty, duration, and falls while integrating my Body Battery metrics and so on. The danger is always that you’ll spend more time fiddling with your Garmin Fenix 8 than you do with your actual sport. I have the version with the sapphire glass face and the titanium bezel, and have smashed it into rock faces with nary a scratch. If you’re up for paying the price and want a good-looking watch that will last forever (I have friends who are still wearing their Fenix 5s and 6s, and honestly, they’re fine), this is the one to get.
Best Running Watch
The Garmin Forerunner series launched in the early 2000s and has become the quintessential runner’s watch. Like all Garmins, the Forerunner comes in a range of price points, each offering different features. Last year, Garmin released the Forerunner 570 ($550), a midrange model with no LED flashlight or onboard maps, and the Forerunner 970 ($750), which is the premium version. Before I go into detail about why the Forerunner 970 is the best option, I should also say that I have tested many previous Garmin Forerunners at various price points. If you’re not a triathlete, the older Forerunners are still worth considering, and the entry-level $200 Forerunner 165 is aimed explicitly at runners, instead of including triathletes as the more expensive models do.
Acer is one of the top largest PC manufacturers in the world, perhaps best known for its gaming line and budget-friendly options. If you’ve already got your eye on an Acer product like a laptop or monitor, and are shopping at the company’s online storefront, you should be using one of these Acer promo codes and coupons to save some cash on your purchase.
Save 40% on Accessories When You Build an Acer Bundle
If you’re buying from Acer, you’re most likely shopping for either a desktop PC or laptop. With this discount, you can get a really solid deal on accessories if you bundle it with a mouse, laptop bag, or headset. When you go to purchase a PC, just click “Build Bundle” and you’ll see some of the eligible options, all of which are reduced by 40%. The Nitro Mechanical Keyboard, for example, goes from $50 to just $30. That 40% is a real discount, too, as that same keyboard costs $50 on Amazon when I checked.
Beyond peripheral add-ons, you can also save 10% off Acer Care Plus extended service plans or McAfee LiveSafe antivirus subscriptions. You can bundle up to five products together to save the most money. If you’re headed off to college (or have a kid in the family), a bundle like this can get you everything you need for a gaming or studying setup on the go.
Shop Rotating Weekly Deals on Monitors and Gaming Gear
Acer’s PC gaming offerings come in either the flagship Predator brand or the budget-tier Nitro. Acer offers rotating weekly deals on everything from monitors to gaming laptops, some of which are my favorites that I’ve tested in their given category. The Acer Nitro V 16, for example, was a budget gaming laptop that I recommended quite a lot last year because of its incredible price. The one I tested was the entry-level version with an Nvidia RTX 5050 inside, but Acer has the RTX 5060 model in its own storefront. It’s $100 off right now at $1,200, which comes with 16 GB of RAM and a terabyte of storage. In fact, it’s only $30 more than the RTX 5050 model, despite offering a significant jump in gaming performance. These discounts are reflected right on the product pages, so there’s no promo code, discount code, or coupon code required.
Acer has a wide selection of monitors available, too, whether that’s a massive 49-incher or a more modest 27-inch gaming workhorse. One of my favorite discounts I saw right now was the Acer Nitro XV2, a 27-inch 1440p display with a 300 Hz refresh rate. It’s 44% off at the time of writing, bringing the price down to just $250. Because these discounts are swapped out on a weekly basis, it’s worth checking back to see if the product you’re eyeing has a new discount.
Select Customers Can Get 15% Off Their Purchase
Acer also offers a number of added discounts at checkout, including 15% off for students. Students will need to verify through Student Beans or SheerID. Because a lot of the devices Acer offers are budget-friendly, they can be attractive for students, and the extra 15% off is the icing on the cake.
We tested the Acer Swift 16 AI last year and really enjoyed the high-resolution, OLED screen and impressively quiet performance. Acer has the smaller version of this same laptop available, the Swift 14 AI, which is currently $150 off. You also might check out the Acer Chromebook Plus 514, a laptop we liked quite a bit when we reviewed it in 2024.
Acer offers this same 15% discount for active duty military, veterans, and their families. It also applies to healthcare professionals, which can be verified through its healthcare discount portal.
The world’s top AI research conference, the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems—better known as NeurIPS—became the latest organization this week to become embroiled in a growing clash between geopolitics and global scientific collaboration. The conference’s organizers announced and then quickly reversed controversial new restrictions for international participants after Chinese AI researchers threatened to boycott the event.
“This is a potential watershed moment,” says Paul Triolo, a partner at the advisory firm DGA-Albright Stonebridge who studies US-China relations. Triolo argues that attracting Chinese researchers to NeurIPS is beneficial to US interests, but some American officials have pushed for American and Chinese scientists to decouple their work—especially in AI, which has become a particularly sensitive topic in Washington.
The incident could deepen political tensions around AI research, as well as dissuade Chinese scientists from working at US universities and tech companies in the future. “At some level now it is going to be hard to keep basic AI research out of the [political] picture,” Triolo says.
In its annual handbook for paper submissions, issued in mid-March, NeurIPS organizers announced updated restrictions for participation. The rules stated that the event could not provide services including “peer review, editing, and publishing” to any organizations subject to US sanctions, and linked to a database of sanctioned entities. It included companies and organizations on the Bureau of Industry and Security’s entity list and those on another list with alleged ties to the Chinese military.
The new rules would have affected researchers at Chinese companies like Tencent and Huawei who regularly present work at NeurIPS. The database also includes entities from other countries such as Russia and Iran. The US places limits on doing business with these organizations, but there are no rules around academic publishing or conference participation.
The NeurIPS handbook has since been updated to specify that the restrictions apply only to Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons, a list used primarily for terrorist groups and criminal organizations.
“In preparing the NeurIPS 2026 handbook, we included a link to a US government sanctions tool that covers a significantly broader set of restrictions than those NeurIPS is actually required to follow,” the event’s organizers said in a statement issued Friday. “This error was due to miscommunication between the NeurIPS Foundation and our legal team.”
Before they reversed course, the conference organizers initially said that the new rule was “about legal requirements that apply to the NeurIPS Foundation, which is responsible for complying with sanctions,” adding that it was seeking legal consultation on the issue.
Immediate Backlash
The new rule drew swift backlash from AI researchers around the world, particularly in China, which produces a large quantity of cutting-edge machine learning papers and is home to a growing share of the world’s top AI talent. Several academic groups there issued statements condemning the measure and, more importantly, discouraging Chinese academics from attending NeurIPS in the future. Some urged Chinese academics to contribute instead to domestic research conferences, potentially helping increase the country’s influence in relevant science and tech fields.
The China Association of Science and Technology (CAST), an influential government-affiliated organization for scientists and engineers, said Thursday that it would stop providing funding for Chinese scholars traveling to attend NeurIPS and would use the money instead to support domestic and international conferences that “respect the rights of Chinese scholars.”
CAST also said it will no longer count publications at the 2026 NeurIPS conference as academic achievements when evaluating future research funding. It’s unclear if the organization will reverse course now that NeurIPS has walked back the new rule.
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