Vodafone Group today announces that by 2020 it will reduce its CO2 emissions by 50% against its 2006/7 baseline of 1.23 million tonnes. This target will be achieved principally by improvements in energy efficiency and increased use of renewable energy.
In addition, as part of its climate change strategy, Vodafone will be focusing on developing products and services which will help customers limit their own emissions.
Arun Sarin, Chief Executive of Vodafone Group Plc said, "This is the right decision for a responsible business to take. It is good for the environment but also makes sense for the business. It resonates from a financial perspective as improving energy efficiency helps us to control costs. It also resonates with customers as developing new products and services, such as our plans for solar-powered phone chargers and universal phone chargers for Vodafone-branded handsets. This will help customers to limit their own emissions and this is something they value more and more.
We have reviewed the options, including carbon off-setting, and have concluded that the most effective strategy is to cut our CO2 emissions directly. There are no simple solutions to what is a complex challenge, but through operational changes and technological innovation we will focus on improving energy efficiency in our networks, which account for 80% of our emissions. We will use renewable energy when and where we can. We hope that making this public commitment now will encourage others to take similar action".
Vodafone has been working hard to address climate change issues for a number of years. For example, in 2006/7 the company reduced the amount of carbon dioxide emitted relative to network traffic by 29% and improved the energy efficiency of new network equipment by 25%.
Vodafone is currently gathering data about the carbon footprint of its newly acquired companies in India and Turkey and climate change targets for these businesses will be announced in due course.
Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director of Forum for the Future, which works with Vodafone on sustainability issues, said: "This is a significant commitment from one of the world’s largest companies. It signals to its millions of customers around the globe that Vodafone is serious about tackling climate change. With a simultaneous focus on the products and services that they offer - and thus on helping their customers to reduce their emissions - Vodafone has the opportunity to show real leadership. 2020 may sound a long way away, but it is what Vodafone does over the next two or three years which will determine whether or not they hit that 50% target".
Tom Delay, Chief Executive of The Carbon Trust, said "Taking early action on reducing carbon emissions offers major opportunities for business as it brings reduction in costs and boosts overall reputation. We also believe it is what consumers expect and want to see from leading businesses in the UK and abroad. More and more companies are stepping up to the plate and making strong commitments to cut their carbon emissions and today’s announcement by Vodafone is very welcome and is increasing evidence that business momentum is growing on this critical issue".
Vodafone Greece installed photovoltaic systems at 123 base stations in remote areas. These systems have generated some 3,300,000 kWh of energy since 2001 (or 700,000 kWh of energy per year) replacing diesel consumption in the respective base stations.
For more information please contact:
Ms. Katerina Papakonstantinou, Corporate Communications Manager, Tel. 210 6702166, mob. 6944 800070, fax 210 6702376, e-mail: katerina.papakonstantinou@vodafone.com
Ms. Christina Morfogeni, Senior Media Relations Coordinator, Tel. 210 6702365, mob. 6944 600955, fax 210 6702376, e-mail: christina.morfogeni@vodafone.com