Terms of Reference (ToR) for

ETSI TC Environmental Engineering’, (TC EE)

Approved/Revised at ETSI Board #156, Date: Jan-2026

Scope

The Technical Committee EE is responsible for defining the environmental and infrastructural aspects for all Information & Communication Technology (ICT) equipment and networks. This includes the following aspects: installations, power and earthing, environmental aspects, sustainability and circularity of ICT equipment, including equipment installed in subscriber premises and mobile devices. Wherever possible, TC-EE deliverables will refer, or take into account, works already done in other standardization organizations. Furthermore, on topics relevant to other ETSI TB’s or other standardisation organisations, TC-EE will establish coordination with them to achieve common goals

Areas of activity

The field of activity includes:

• Environmental Conditions and thermal management (WG-EE1)
• Power supply interfaces, earthing and bonding and related topics (WG-EE2)
• Mechanical Structure and Physical design of equipment and structures
• Environmental matters not specific to mobile ICT’s (WG-EEPS)
• Environmental matters associated with Mobile ICT devices (WG M-ICT)

Organisation

TC EE has organized itself according to the following Working Groups:

2.1) Environmental Conditions and thermal management (WG-EE1)

EE1 Working group is responsible for producing deliverables on environmental topics and thermal management of ICT equipment (excluding consumer products) that include:

• -Definition of environmental classes for the following applications/conditions: storage, transportation, operation in various locations (e.g. data centres, telecom centres, street cabinets, underground, on pole etc.). Environmental conditions include, as example, the following aspects: temperature, humidity, rain, ice, snow, effect of chemical substances, biological conditions, mechanical active substances, mechanical stress etc.
• -Specification of test methodologies to verify the compliance of ICT equipment to the defined environmental classes
• -Study and definition of guidelines of thermal management for the co-location of ICT equipment in racks, cabinets and sites. This includes the deployment of outdoor cabinets
• -Definition of limits of acoustic noise emissions for the ICT equipment considering the environment where they will be used.

2.2) Power supply interfaces, earthing and bonding (WG-EE2)

The EE2 Working Group is responsible for producing Standards for power supply interfaces and earthing and bonding for all Information & Communication Technology (ICT) equipment installed within telecommunications centres, access networks, remote sites, data centres and at customer premises. 

The EE2 Working Group deliverables include:

• Power supply interfaces and power distribution systems (including installation practices; e.g. colour & identification of power cables).
• Earthing and bonding for power supply interfaces and equipment.
• Architecture of power supply interface for ICT equipment.
• Development of Standards for new power supply technologies and voltage levels.
• Monitoring and control interface of power and cooling systems supporting ICT equipment.
• Alternative/renewable energy systems and interface with power supply equipment.
• Energy storage systems and interface with power supply equipment.
• Sustainable power feeding solutions.
• Power supply and alternative energy source metrics and KPIs.
• Reduction of Energy Consumption of infrastructure/facility: Developing metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for environmental efficiency, particularly in terms of power and energy efficiency of power interfaces supporting ICT equipment.
• Improved monitoring and observability of equipment power and energy consumption for improved sizing of power supply interfaces and equipment.

EE2 WG works closely with ETSI ATTM & ITU-T SG5 on joint work items and technically aligned deliverables, and supports TC-EE with liaisons with CEN/CENELEC and the European Commission.

2.3) Mechanical Structure and Physical design of equipment and structures

This includes the specification and guidelines of equipment practices for ICT equipment installed in data centres, telecommunication centres and outdoor enclosures (e.g. street cabinet). This includes specifications of racks, shelves and cabinets.

2.4) Environmental affairs (WG-EEPS)

EEPS WG provides support to TC-EE in the analysis of European environmental legislations, in terms of ecological aspects, and environmental impact assessment ^[1] of ICT equipment and infrastructures.

[1] Environmental impact referred in TC-EE covers the combination of climatic, physical, chemical, and biotic conditions that may affect the growth and welfare of organisms and nature conservation. They may also include aspects of eco-design.

ICT mobile devices and power supply interface systems are not in the scope of EEPS WG, as they are covered respectively in EE M-ICT WG and EE2 WG.

In addition, EEPS WG establishes and maintains cooperation with relevant CEN/CENELEC TC’s and the European Commission on the development of ecological environmental related product deliverables (e.g. standards or technical reports) applicable to ICT infrastructures and equipment.

Responsibilities of EEPS WG include activities and deliverables on:

• Reduction of energy and resource consumption: developing metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for environmental efficiency, particularly in terms of water and energy efficiency in ICTs, including data centers with the aim to reduce the use of energy or natural resources
• Assessment methodologies for material efficiency and circularity: developing methodologies for assessing the material efficiency and circularity of ICT products, networks and services; this includes guidance the upgrades and replacements of key elements of existing ICT network infrastructure to achieve higher environmental efficiency and lower material usage.
• Design guidelines and methodologies to reduce e-waste associated to ICT equipment
• Energy efficiency solutions: utilizing artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data to improve energy efficiency of ICT solutions.
• Use of renewable energy sources: study the effects of the use of renewable energy sources to power ICT equipment and the assessment of the environmental impact.
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Developing methodologies for assessing the environmental impact of ICT product networks and services.
• Assessment methodologies of ICTs enablement effect: Assessing how the use of ICT solutions impacts Green House Gas (GHG) emissions of other sectors.
• Digitalization of Product Environmental Information (Digital Product Passport): Providing solutions and information, in coordination with CEN/CENELEC relevant TBs (e.g. JTC24), for implementing DPP’s that cover the environmental performance of ICTs, including facilities for ICT equipment, and solutions.
• Sustainability aspects: considering the sustainability implications and possible KPIs related to ICT products, networks, services, and installations.
• Artificial Intelligence and computing Environmental efficiency: considering the Environmental efficiency (energy and GHG emission) of Software, computing and AI applications including Data Center
• developing ETSI deliverables within the scope of TC-EE specific to Mobile ICT devices as defined above
• analysing relevant European environmental legislation, in terms of ecological aspects, and assessing their impact on Mobile ICT devices.
• supporting TC-EE in the establishment and maintenance of liaisons with other ETSI TB’s (e.g. DECT, MSG), relevant CEN/CENELEC TC’s, 3GPP, ITU-T SG5 and the European Commission on the development of ecological environmental related product deliverables applicable to Mobile ICT devices. Other organisations for which cooperation is required for the production of deliverables on ecological aspects may be identified.

2.5) Environmental matters associated with Mobile ICT devices (WG M-ICT)

The scope of the work of M-ICT WG is the development of ecological environmental related product deliverables specific to Mobile ICT devices ^[2].

[2] Mobile ICT device definition considered in M-ICT WG is a portable electronic cordless device, excluding portable computers, that integrates embedded or general-purpose computing and communication capabilities, enabling the user to access, process, store, or transmit information wirelessly across networks or via connected devices, while in motion or at varying locations. The device may perform information tasks autonomously or in conjunction with other ICT systems, and may support input/output via audio, visual, tactile, or other human-machine interfaces.

M-ICT WG is responsible for:

• developing ETSI deliverables within the scope of TC-EE specific to Mobile ICT devices as defined above
• analysing relevant European environmental legislation, in terms of ecological aspects, and assessing their impact on Mobile ICT devices.
• supporting TC-EE in the establishment and maintenance of liaisons with other ETSI TB’s (e.g. DECT, MSG), relevant CEN/CENELEC TC’s, 3GPP, ITU-T SG5 and the European Commission on the development of ecological environmental related product deliverables applicable to Mobile ICT devices. Other organisations for which cooperation is required for the production of deliverables on ecological aspects may be identified.

TC-EE may appoint experts of this Working Group to liaise with other organizations on matters related to Mobile ICT devices

The Working Groups will continue their activities as long as there is a need to produce deliverables, and to also maintain the published documents related to their areas of responsibility.

TC-EE will establish, when necessary, collaboration with ETSI internal TB’s (e.g. ATTM, DECT) and external organizations (e.g. CEN/CENELEC, ITU-T, ISO, IEC) to perform the assigned tasks and produce the necessary deliverables.

ETSI has in place an agreement with ITU-T and working rules have been agreed between ETSI TC-EE and ITU-T SG5 for the production of technically aligned deliverables.

TC-EE maintains updates the Liaison Officers list with the organization dealing with topics relevant to our tasks.