Vodafone Germany reaches Net Zero emissions from its operations

Vodafone Germany has successfully achieved its target to reach net zero emissions* from its own operations by 2025.

The milestone was achieved by reducing its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 93% since 2020. Efforts to make Vodafone Germany’s network more energy-efficient have saved up to 280 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the past four years alone.

The remaining 7% of emissions, which mostly relate to the use of petrol and diesel in company vehicles, have been neutralised through Vodafone Germany’s investment in certified climate protection projects.

These include projects that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through nature-based solutions such as afforestation, reforestation, forest regeneration and regenerative agriculture; as well as technological solutions including biochar production. These certified projects draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it away, which helps to mitigate global climate change.

In addition, Vodafone Germany will continue to electrify its vehicle fleet over the coming years, to help drive these remaining emissions down.

The next steps in Vodafone’s Climate Transition Plan

The success in Germany is part of Vodafone’s wider Climate Transition Plan, which comprises 17 initiatives to reduce the Group’s greenhouse gas emissions across all local operating countries and business areas.

In line with the plan, Vodafone Group aims to become net zero across the entire value chain (Scope 1, 2 & 3) by 2040. Scope 3 includes emissions that the company does not directly control. To achieve this goal, the company collaborates with partners, suppliers, and joint ventures to make external processes less emissions intensive.

Find out more about our Climate Transition Plan here, and in the video below.

* "Net zero" in this context means that Vodafone Germany has reduced its own greenhouse gas emissions (measured in tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent, tCO2e) by at least 90% compared to a 2020 base year, and has neutralised any unavoidable residual emissions through the purchase of verified carbon dioxide removal credits. This definition is in line with the principles of the SBTi Corporate Net Zero Standard (March 2024). Vodafone's greenhouse gas emissions inventory is measured in accordance with the GHG Protocol for all its global markets, externally assured by an independent third-party, and disclosed in Vodafone Group's latest Annual Report. To neutralise its unavoidable residual emissions from operations in Germany, Vodafone purchases the equivalent volume of carbon credits from carbon dioxide removal projects in Germany, Bolivia, India, Panama, Uganda & Kenya, which are verified under the following verification schemes: puro.earth, Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) by Verra and Gold Standard.