Vodafone Group ranked among the top 1 per cent of companies for its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance according to report by independent evaluator EcoVadis, with the operator crediting its progress around climate action.
In a blog post, Vodafone said it increased its 2024 ESG rating by three points to 83 out of 100 compared to last year, putting it at the 1 per cent minority of 130,000 companies spanning 220 countries with high sustainability scores assessed by EcoVadis.
The group pointed to its work in tackling carbon emissions, including through “securing renewable energy from multiple sources” and its commitments under a climate transition plan it announced in May which focuses on decarbonising its internal operations and value chain.
Vodafone explained EcoVadis’ evaluation is based on four key areas covering: environment; labour and human rights; ethics; and sustainable procurement.
The operator giant stated it took environmental factors into account when choosing potential suppliers as part of its sustainability procurement, as well as “requiring them to have their own carbon reduction targets and reporting”.
Recently, Vodafone made a push around smartphone recycling, stating around 50kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) could be avoided when consumers opt for a recycled device instead of a new phone, which could result in 20 per cent reduction in climate impact.
In August 2023, the group’s UK business said it had cut its direct carbon emissions by 92 per cent, crediting use of clean energy.
Vodafone has a target to reach net zero operations in Europe by 2028, in Africa by 2035 and across its entire value chain by 2040.
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