Better Health for All

Deutsche Telekom AG demonstrates a strong commitment to Better Health for All through its dedicated healthcare solutions and accessibility initiatives. The company's principal goods and services, particularly its IT-Healthcare offerings, have a significant positive health impact by improving patient care, optimizing medical processes, and enhancing data security with AI solutions for diagnoses and systems like HIS iMedOne® that ease the burden on healthcare staff.

The company provides extensive price accessibility through social and subsidized tariffs for a wide range of vulnerable groups, including low-income individuals, people with disabilities, refugees, students, and seniors, and offers affordable 5G devices. Its vulnerable reach is substantial, notably through "Project 10Million" which provides free internet to up to 10 million students in the US, and initiatives for people with hearing and speech impairments. The company exhibits strong healthcare data responsibility with secure, interoperable health data platforms, compliance with GDPR and the AI ACT, and a certified Cyber Emergency Response Team. , It supports the healthcare workforce by offering solutions that ease the burden on staff and enhance efficiency. , During public health emergencies, the company has taken measures to protect customers and employees, including hardening networks. The company's core telecommunications products and services are not associated with direct negative health impacts or addiction potential, and it does not engage in pharmaceutical patenting, food production, or direct clinical trials.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

No specific quantitative data is available in the provided articles for DTE.XETRA regarding fair trade certifications, audit frequency, forced or child labor incidents, traceability coverage, remediation speed, ethical clause coverage, materials risk index, or supplier diversity spend.

While some articles mention the company's commitment to responsible procurement , adherence to the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act , and ethical principles in contracts , these are not quantifiable metrics that can be mapped to the scoring rubric's thresholds.

Honest & Fair Business

Deutsche Telekom maintains a robust anti-corruption framework, evidenced by its Group-wide zero-tolerance policy

and comprehensive Compliance Management System (CMS). The CMS is regularly audited externally by independent public auditors according to Assurance Standard 980 (IDW PS 980) and was certified to ISO Standard 37001 in 2017, making it one of the first companies globally to achieve this . The company provides regular anti-corruption training, covering 100% of functions-at-risk , and is ranked first by Transparency International for corruption measures among large telecom companies . Its ethical claims are further verified through these external audits and certifications. Deutsche Telekom also operates a comprehensive 'TellMe' whistleblower portal, established in 2006 , which is available 24/7 to employees and external parties . This portal allows anonymous reporting via a certified system , covers human rights and supply chain violations , and explicitly protects reporters from retaliation . In 2023, 85 tip-offs were received, with 29 confirmed as misconduct . However, the median time for completing procedures for ethics complaints received via the whistleblower portal is approximately 3 months (90 days) .

Kind to Animals

Deutsche Telekom is a telecommunications company, and its core business model does not involve animal-derived products, animal testing, or animal agriculture, rendering most animal welfare KPIs not applicable. For public policy engagement, the company exhibits a lack of engagement with biodiversity-related policies, including those concerning the protection of wildlife, statutory protection of species, and broader government policies to address biodiversity loss.

While the company undertakes various conservation initiatives, such as planting 176,580 trees by May 2022, installing nesting and bee boxes, and supporting biodiversity projects, the articles do not provide the percentage of revenue invested or specific, documented increases in biodiversity metrics or population recovery as required by the positive scoring tiers for wildlife conservation impact. Additionally, supplier audits are conducted for general human rights and environmental risks, but there is no evidence that these specifically cover animal welfare compliance for animal-related suppliers.

No War, No Weapons

Deutsche Telekom's core business is telecommunications and IT services, with no explicit mention of revenue from arms contracts, indicating no defense or arms-related activities. Consequently, there is no defense business for the board to oversee. The company conducts annual human-rights due diligence through risk assessments for Group companies and direct suppliers, including those in conflict or high-risk regions, with a review of action effectiveness.

However, in 2022, 83 on-site audits revealed 549 violations of supplier requirements, indicating occasional non-compliance with humanitarian procurement standards despite a Supplier Code of Conduct that includes human rights principles. The company publishes annual transparency reports for Germany and internationally, revealing information disclosed to security authorities to the extent legally permitted, which means classified details are omitted.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Deutsche Telekom reinvested 1.31% of its 2023 group revenue, amounting to EUR 1.47 billion, into community contributions for digital society

. No other specific, quantitative data points related to DTE.XETRA's respect for cultures and communities, such as formal partnerships, cultural appropriation incidents, cultural impact assessment protocols, local employment ratios, grievance mechanisms for community concerns, FPIC participation rates, or cultural preservation investments, were found in the provided articles.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

In 2024, the company's waste diversion rate was 74%, with 18,420 metric tons of non-recycled waste out of a total of 71,385 metric tons.

Deutsche Telekom has a "Sustainability by Design" guideline to integrate circular economy principles, including long lifespans, repairability, and recyclability, into product development, exemplified by the Speedport Smart4. Waste reduction initiatives have led to a 4,700 kg/year plastic reduction and a 50 tons/year paper reduction in Germany (2021-2024), and 275 metric tons of paper saved in 2021. In 2024, 7,013 metric tons of hazardous waste were generated and managed according to categorization. The company reported no waste disposal violations in 2021 or 2024, including no violations of the Packaging Directive by suppliers in 2024. A target exists to be almost fully circular in technology and devices in European operations by 2030, but no Group-wide target for hazardous and non-hazardous waste reduction is set. The company weights sustainability in procurement assessments, collaborates with suppliers to reduce packaging, and addresses supplier sustainability. Customer education includes informing about take-back offers, providing recycling schemes, offering eco-ratings, and encouraging donations for returned devices, with the mobile phone take-back system awarded the state "Blue Angel" ecolabel.