Which conductor is used to provide a common electrical reference and reduce EMI in copper cabling?

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Grounding/bonding conductor provides a common electrical reference and a low-impedance path for interference and fault currents. In copper cabling, having all metallic parts tied to the same earth reference helps keep signal voltages from drifting relative to each other, which reduces both conducted and radiated EMI. The shield in shielded cables only helps when it is bonded to that same reference point; otherwise, it can become a source of noise rather than a sink for it. The neutral conductor is part of the power system and carries return current, which can introduce noise into data cabling, so it’s not used as the reference for communications. The protective earth conductor serves safety grounding, but the focused purpose of providing a common reference and EMI control in cabling is accomplished by the grounding/bonding conductor, which bonds equipment and shields to the same earth potential.