Vodafone commits to net zero carbon emissions by 2040

Vodafone will slash its global carbon emissions to net zero by 2040, 10 years ahead of its original 2050 target.

To fulfil this commitment, Vodafone will aim to eliminate carbon emissions from its own activities, as well as from the energy it purchases, by 2030.

Vodafone also aims to halve its carbon emissions from joint ventures, supply chain purchases and business travel, as well as from the products it sells, by 2030.

All of the new targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a partnership involving the United Nations Global Compact and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). SBTi encourages the private sector to set targets in line with the Paris Agreement.

Vodafone is already on track to power its European network with 100% renewable energy by July 2021, four years earlier than planned. In the UK, Vodafone has cut its energy usage by 100 gigawatt hours which is enough to power a town of 65,000 people for a year and the equivalent of 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Vodafone UK is also using the Internet of Things (IoT) to help scientists learn how effective trees are at absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Scott Petty, Chief Technology Officer at Vodafone UK, said: “Climate change is by far the gravest challenge facing the world. It’s therefore crucial that every part of society, including businesses, step up to do their part in cutting carbon emissions."

“Vodafone has not only brought forward its ambitious targets to do so, but has concrete plans to achieve them. Our collective future deserves nothing less.”

Last week, at the Sustainable Innovation Forum 2020,  Dorothée D'Herde, Head of Sustainable Business at Vodafone Group, said the company is also looking at tackling e-waste as part of their sustainability scheme. Dorothee was joined by Tim Brooks, VP Environmental Sustainability at Lego, and Jennifer Morgan, Executive Director at Greenpeace International. You can sign up for free now to watch the session on demand.