Vodafone recently announced that it will be running its European network on 100% renewable electricity by July 2021 - four years earlier than planned. The move, which will affect 11 markets across Europe, means that our power will come solely from wind, solar or hydro sources.
The telecoms giant, which had originally pledged to have a ‘Green Gigabit Net’ by 2025, has also committed to helping its business customers reduce their carbon emissions by 350 million tonnes by 2030.
Nick Read, Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone Group, said: “More than ever, Vodafone is relied upon to connect millions of people around the world. As society rebuilds and recovers from the COVID-19 crisis, we have an opportunity to reshape our future sustainably to ensure that recovery does not come at a cost to the environment.
“Our accelerated shift to 100% renewable electricity on our European networks will change the way we power our technology for good – reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, helping our customers manage their resources more effectively and reduce their carbon emissions, while helping to create a healthier planet for everyone.”
Last year, the global telecoms company committed to purchasing all electricity from renewable sources and halving its environmental footprint by 2025, as well as reusing, reselling or recycling 100% of its network waste.
The new 2021 target, set by Vodafone, has been developed alongside carbon and sustainability experts, the Carbon Trust.
Tom Delay, Chief Executive of The Carbon Trust, said: “We have been working closely with Vodafone on its sustainability agenda since 2010, and for the last seven years on quantifying the carbon enablement impact of Vodafone’s products and services.
“There is a growing and important opportunity for the ICT sector to develop and enable new solutions that help drive de-carbonisation. This target represents a very high level of ambition for Vodafone to continue to drive this strategy, further developing its IoT [Internet of Things] and other services, and engaging with its business customers.”