Vodafone to dial in 100% green European network by 2021

Vodafone also announces new target to help customers save 350 million tonnes of CO2e by 2030

Vodafone recently announced that its European network will be powered by 100 percent renewable electricity no later than July 2021, creating a Green Gigabit Net for customers across 11 markets that will grow sustainably using only power from wind, solar or hydro sources.

Vodafone also committed to helping business customers who use its services reduce their own carbon emissions by a cumulative total of 350 million tonnes globally over 10 years between 2020 and 2030 – an ambitious new target equivalent to the UK’s total annual carbon emissions for 2019.1

In 2019, Vodafone committed to purchasing all electricity from renewable sources, halving its environmental footprint by 2025 and reusing, reselling or recycling 100 percent of its network waste, supporting the move towards a more circular economy.

Vodafone Group CEO Nick Read said: “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.”

Around four-fifths of the energy used by Vodafone’s networks will be from renewable sources obtained directly from national electricity grids via PPA and green tariffs. The remaining fifth, supplied by Vodafone’s landlords on buildings and other infrastructure, will be covered instead by credible Renewable Energy Certificates. Where feasible, Vodafone will also invest in self-generation on site, mostly via solar panels.

Green Gigabit Net will be enabled across all Vodafone’s markets in Europe, including Germany, UK, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Romania, Albania, Czech Republic and Hungary.

Vodafone Italy, Czech Republic and Ireland have used renewable electricity tariffs for a number of years already. Vodafone Spain announced a Power Purchase Agreement with Iberdrola for 540 GWh from renewable sources, including 140 GWh from a new wind farm. In 2019, Vodafone Germany, Romania, Greece and Hungary all sourced renewable tariffs or certificates (RECs) for the first time.

Worldwide, Vodafone has over 12 million smart meter connections using its IoT technology, saving an estimated 1.6 million tonnes of CO2e. In the city of Guadalajara, Spain, 13,500 LED lights were connected to a central management system, reducing street lighting energy consumption by 68 percent.

Vodafone remains committed to improving the energy efficiency of its base station sites and in its data and switching centres, which together account for 95 percent of the company’s total global energy consumption. During 2020, Vodafone invested €77 million in energy efficiency and renewable projects, which led to annual energy savings of 186 GWh.