Vodafone Group Plc is one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies, operating mobile and fixed networks across Europe and Africa, serving over 300 million mobile customers across its continuing operations with total revenues of €37.2 billion in FY2025. Following the sale of Vodafone Spain and Vodafone Italy as part of a strategic portfolio restructuring, both businesses are treated as discontinued operations, with all ESG performance data for continuing operations restated from FY2023 onward to reflect the revised group boundary. Vodafone published its FY2025 Annual Report and 2025 ESG Addendum in 2025, confirming a 61% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 market-based emissions from the FY2020 baseline, 99.8% of grid electricity matched with renewable sources, and a 8% reduction in Scope 3 GHG emissions year-on-year to 6.61 million tCO2e.

Vodafone holds SBTi-validated net-zero targets for 2040 and interim 2030 targets for Scope 1 and 2 reduction and Scope 3 halving, published its first Climate Transition Plan in May 2024 covering FY2025 to FY2027, and set region-specific net-zero targets for Scope 1 and 2 in FY2024, recognizing that the transition pathway and challenges differ between its European and African operations. The Vodafone Foundation separately confirmed achieving its goal of improving 300 million lives by 2025, with the Instant Network Schools program now spanning 159 centers across six African countries and reaching over 382,000 refugees, internally displaced persons, and host-community students.

Source

https://www.vodafone.com/sustainable-business/esg-reporting-centre
https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/897876789
https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/997622618
https://foundation.vodafone.com/focus-areas/digital-skills-and-inclusion/instant-network-schools

Sustainability Strategy and Goals

Vodafone’s sustainability strategy is organized under its Planet, People, and Inclusion purpose pillars, with commitments structured across four time horizons: 2025 renewable electricity matching, 2027 UK net-zero operations, 2028 European net-zero operations, 2030 SBTi-validated global Scope 1 and 2 reduction and Scope 3 halving, and a 2040 full value chain net-zero goal. The strategy aligns with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C pathway, with all climate targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative under the Net-Zero Standard and covering absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 reductions against an FY2020 baseline from continuing operations. Vodafone’s Climate Transition Plan, published in May 2024 and covering FY2025 to FY2027, outlines the specific operational actions, investment decisions, and supplier engagement programs Vodafone will execute to reduce GHG emissions during this period, and provides the framework for managing climate-related risks and building business resilience.

Vodafone’s ESG governance structure is overseen by its Board-level ESG Committee, which holds responsibility for the sustainability and responsible business programme, climate-related risk reporting, and annual ESG target review. In FY2025, Vodafone simplified its ESG reporting within the Annual Report, embedding sustainability directly into business reporting rather than maintaining parallel standalone CSR disclosure streams, reflecting CSRD-aligned integration requirements for European operators.

Net Zero and Carbon Emissions

Vodafone targets net-zero GHG emissions across its full value chain (Scope 1, 2, and 3) by 2040 from an FY2020 baseline, committing to a minimum 90% absolute reduction in all scopes by 2040, with remaining emissions neutralized through verified carbon removal. The SBTi-validated 2030 interim targets require a minimum 90% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions globally and halving of Scope 3 emissions from the FY2020 baseline. Region-specific operational net-zero milestones are: net-zero in Germany by 2025, net-zero in the UK by 2027, and net-zero across all European operations by 2028.

Key milestones from FY2020 to FY2025:

• Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions (market-based) reduced 61% from FY2020 baseline to FY2025, across all continuing operations​
• Total Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions (market-based) in FY2025: 0.28 million tCO2e, against a location-based equivalent of 2.34 million tCO2e, confirming the scale of renewable energy matching​
• Scope 3 GHG emissions: 6.61 million tCO2e in FY2025, an 8% year-on-year reduction and an 8% reduction from the FY2020 baseline​
• Other Scope 3 categories excluding investment-related emissions increased 10% year-on-year in FY2025, driven by higher device sales volumes, specifically higher-carbon smartphones versus feature phones​
• Total energy use from continuing operations: 5,453 GWh in FY2025, up from 5,271 GWh in FY2024 and 5,107 GWh in FY2023, reflecting network expansion​
• 99.8% of grid electricity from continuing operations matched with renewable sources in FY2025, up from 94% in FY2024​
• Renewable electricity in Europe specifically: 94% in FY2025, against a stated target of 100% by 2025, a 6-percentage-point shortfall​
• Sustainable Media Programme reduced quarterly media and advertising emissions from 7,311.56 tCO2e in Q3 FY2023 to 4,855.27 tCO2e in Q3 FY2024, a 34% reduction, deployed across 13 markets​

Water Stewardship

Vodafone’s water stewardship program focuses on reducing consumption at data centers and network technology centers, where cooling systems represent the most significant operational water use point. The company applies energy efficiency improvements across its technology estate, with the direct effect of reducing mechanical cooling requirements and associated water consumption, tracked as a co-benefit of the network energy efficiency program rather than as a separately quantified water target. Vodafone’s TCFD-aligned climate risk reporting, incorporated into the FY2024 Annual Report for the first time, includes physical climate risk assessments that address water stress exposure across its facility portfolio in both European and African operating markets.​

Deforestation and Biodiversity

Vodafone’s primary biodiversity-relevant actions center on reducing extraction demand for virgin minerals through the Device Circularity program and the full reuse, resale, or recycling of decommissioned network equipment. The company’s Device Circularity program, developed in partnership with GSMA, extends product lifecycles through repair, insurance, trade-in, and refurbished device resale programs, with Vodafone Germany’s “One for One” initiative collecting one used phone in Africa for professional recycling for every new private customer phone sold in Germany. Vodafone’s responsible sourcing program addresses conflict minerals including tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold across its approximately €19 billion annual supplier spend with 8,000 direct suppliers globally.

Packaging and Circular Economy

Vodafone’s circular economy strategy covers network equipment e-waste, customer device lifecycle management, and packaging redesign across all European markets. The company achieved its 2025 target to reuse, resell, or send for recycling 100% of its decommissioned network equipment e-waste, representing the first major circular economy commitment Vodafone has confirmed as fully achieved at its target year. The Device Circularity program, developed with GSMA, offers customers repair services, refurbished phone options, and trade-in programs across retail and digital channels, with refurbished phones avoiding approximately 50 kg CO2e of emissions over a two-year period compared to purchasing a new device.

Key outcomes in FY2025:

• 100% of decommissioned network equipment reused, resold, or sent for recycling, achieving the 2025 circular economy target for network e-waste​
• 700,000 used phones collected for refurbishment, reuse, recycling, or donation to social causes against a 2025 target of 1 million phones, a 30% shortfall​
• Extending a phone’s use by one year reduces its annual CO2e impact by up to 29%; refurbished phones avoid approximately 50 kg CO2e over a two-year period versus new device purchase​
• Vodafone Germany’s “One for One” initiative, operated in partnership with Closing the Loop, ensures professional recycling of one old phone collected in Africa for every new private customer phone sold in Germany​
• Device Circularity program co-developed with GSMA, establishing industry-level standards for device lifecycle transparency, environmental impact labelling, and recycling program design applicable across 750+ GSMA member operators​

Human Rights and Responsible Sourcing

Vodafone spends approximately €19 billion annually with 8,000 direct suppliers globally, covering network infrastructure, IT services, fixed lines, mobile masts, and data centers, with human rights due diligence governed by its Modern Slavery Statement and Supplier Code of Conduct. In FY2025 and FY2026, Vodafone began implementing a fully revised human rights supply chain strategy, introducing a new external ESG performance management tool for supply chain mapping, expanding JAC collaborative audit participation, and commissioning a risk assessment with external expert support for deeper geographical and category-based human rights risk analysis. The company joined the UN Human Rights 75 Initiative’s B-Tech Community of Practice in FY2024, making a public pledge to continue sharing experiences of responsible technology implementation with other companies across the global digital economy.

Key outcomes in FY2025:

• FY2026 human rights supply chain strategy implementation launched, including new external ESG tool for supply chain mapping, revised audit strategy, human rights training delivery to procurement teams, and review of all new and renewing supplier contracts for strengthened human rights clauses​
• Active participation in JAC (Joint Alliance for CSR), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), and the UN Global Compact maintained as collaborative human rights governance platforms across the shared telecommunications supplier base​
• Modern Slavery Statement 2024/25 published with disclosure of planned FY2026 supply chain risk assessment and new ESG performance management system onboarding​
• Responsible sourcing programme assesses suppliers across forced labour, health and safety, environmental compliance, and ethical business conduct indicators​

Digital Inclusion and Social Impact

Vodafone’s digital inclusion strategy operates across two distinct channels: the Vodafone Foundation’s humanitarian connectivity programs led by Instant Network Schools in partnership with UNHCR, and Vodafone’s commercial digital inclusion programs targeting affordable connectivity and digital skills across its European and African market footprint. The Vodafone Foundation achieved its goal of improving 300 million lives by 2025, confirmed in September 2025, with INS having grown to 159 centers across six African countries reaching over 382,000 refugees, internally displaced persons, and host-community students, and training 6,800+ teachers and coaches. Each INS solar-powered classroom kit consists of tablets, a projector, a speaker, a laptop, pre-loaded curriculum in local languages, and internet connectivity, all powered by solar panels so classrooms operate even when main power or generators fail.

Key outcomes since program launches through FY2025:

• Vodafone Foundation confirmed achievement of 300 million lives improved by 2025 target, September 2025​
• 159 Instant Network Schools operational across the DRC, Egypt, Kenya, Mozambique, South Sudan, and Tanzania, reaching 382,000+ students and 6,800+ teachers, supported by 264 community coaches​
• 22 new INS centers opened in Egypt in November 2025, bringing Egypt’s total to 70 and establishing it as the largest INS hub in Africa, with Vodafone Foundation on track to reach 500,000 students by end of 2026​
• Vodafone employees raised over £100,000 to support INS program expansion across Egypt and other operating markets​
• Connected Education programme reached 1.5 million students and teachers across 4,500 institutions in 10 countries​
• Vodacom e-School reached 1.2 million users in South Africa, providing free data-charge access to learning materials on smartphones​

Community and Social Impact

Vodafone’s community investment extends across humanitarian connectivity, digital skills programs, and technology-for-good initiatives delivered through the Vodafone Foundation and local market foundations across Europe and Africa. Each INS center is supported by a dedicated community coach who maintains the technology kit, mentors teachers, and keeps classrooms running, with Vodafone Volunteers conducting support missions for kit updates, curriculum testing, and new school setup, building local program sustainability rather than external dependency. Vodafone’s commitment to digital inclusion is reinforced by its commercial affordable connectivity programs across European markets, including low-income broadband tariffs and device financing options designed to reduce digital access barriers for the most underserved households.

Governance and Transparency

Vodafone’s Board-level ESG Committee holds primary oversight of the sustainability and responsible business programme, with the Audit and Risk Committee providing additional oversight on climate-related risk and ESG data assurance. The company obtains independent assurance on all primary ESG metrics including Scope 1, Scope 2 (location-based and market-based), and Scope 3 GHG emissions, energy data, and social metrics, with results published annually in the ESG Addendum. Vodafone’s FY2025 Annual Report simplified ESG reporting by embedding sustainability directly into business reporting, reflecting the CSRD-aligned integration model applicable to its continuing European operations rather than a standalone CSR parallel reporting stream.

Key governance outcomes in FY2025:

• 36% women in management and senior leadership roles across continuing operations in FY2025​
• 99.8% of grid electricity matched with renewables in continuing operations, independently verified and disclosed in the 2025 ESG Methodology document​
• FY2025 Annual Report ESG reporting simplified with sustainability embedded across business reporting, reflecting CSRD-aligned integration​
• Climate Transition Plan published May 2024, covering FY2025 to FY2027 decarbonization pathway with region-specific operational net-zero milestones​

Technology and Innovation

Vodafone’s network modernization program, encompassing 5G deployment, fiber broadband rollout, and AI-assisted network management, serves as the primary operational mechanism for reducing energy intensity per unit of data transported. The Sustainable Media Programme reduced quarterly media and advertising emissions from 7,311.56 tCO2e in Q3 FY2023 to 4,855.27 tCO2e in Q3 FY2024, a 34% reduction, deployed across 13 markets through programmatic advertising optimization and sustainable media buying standards, demonstrating that Scope 3 reduction programs can target non-obvious emission sources within the value chain. The seven priority Scope 3 action areas within Vodafone’s Climate Transition Plan cover supply chain engagement, device lifecycle extension, customer use-phase reduction tools, green digital solutions, media emissions, sustainable logistics, and employee travel.

Global Partnerships and Advocacy

Vodafone is an RE100 member, a signatory to the UN Global Compact, a participant in Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), and a JAC member for collaborative supplier auditing across the telecommunications sector. The company co-developed the GSMA Device Circularity program, establishing industry-level standards for lifecycle transparency and responsible device recycling in partnership with a sector body representing over 750 mobile network operators worldwide. Vodafone’s partnership with UNHCR through the Instant Network Schools program, now covering 159 centers and 382,000+ students across six African countries, represents one of the most sustained and independently verified humanitarian connectivity collaborations in the global telecommunications sector.

Source

https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/997622618
https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/897876789/68/
https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/897876789/37/
https://assets.ctfassets.net/q7ob9vms4z5k/2OdF9uYwLFlnioEyDe17bW/b9ed34da311368fb0851d2f2f1122454/vodafone-group-climate-transition-plan-2024.pdf
https://www.vodafone.com/sustainable-business/protecting-the-planet/promoting-circularity
https://www.vodafone.com/~/media/Files/V/vodafone/Universal/documents/vodafone-plc-mss-2024-25.pdf
https://foundation.vodafone.com/focus-areas/digital-skills-and-inclusion/instant-network-schools
https://foundation.vodafone.com/news/vodafone-foundation/vodafone-foundation-achieves-goal-to-improve-300-million-lives-by-2025
https://foundation.vodafone.com/news/vodafone-foundation/22-new-instant-network-schools-open-their-doors-in-egypt
https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/external-affairs/gsma_study/vodafone-device-circularity-how-vodafone-is-building-and-scaling
https://scope3magazine.com/scope-1-2-and-3/vodafone-reduces-scope-3-advertising

Progress vs. Target Tracker

Commitment	Target	Current Status	Assessment
Net-zero GHG (full value chain, Scope 1, 2, and 3)	2040, minimum 90% absolute reduction from FY2020	61% Scope 1 and 2 market-based reduction; Scope 3 at 8% reduction from FY2020	On track (Scope 1 and 2); At risk (Scope 3)
90% Scope 1 and 2 reduction globally	2030, SBTi validated, from FY2020	61% achieved by FY2025; 29 percentage points remaining ​	In progress
Net-zero operations in Germany	2025	Target set in regional net-zero plan; FY2025 operational data confirms near-zero market-based Scope 2 in Europe ​	On track
Net-zero operations in the UK	2027	In progress; Climate Transition Plan FY25-FY27 covers actions required ​	On track
Net-zero European operations (Scope 1 and 2)	2028	In progress; 94% renewable electricity in Europe in FY2025 ​	On track
Halve Scope 3 GHG emissions globally	2030, SBTi validated, from FY2020	8% reduction from FY2020 by FY2025; 42 percentage points remaining ​	At risk
Match 100% grid electricity with renewables (global)	By 2025	99.8% achieved in continuing operations in FY2025 ​	Achieved (0.2% residual gap)
100% renewable electricity in Europe	By 2025	94% achieved in Europe in FY2025; 6 percentage points short ​	Missed
100% network equipment e-waste reused, resold, or recycled	By 2025	Achieved and confirmed ​	Achieved
Collect 1 million phones for the Planet	By 2025	700,000 collected; 30% short of target ​	Missed
Enable 350 million tonnes CO2 avoided through green digital solutions	By 2030	13.5 million tCO2e avoided as of restated FY2022 figure; significant gap ​	At risk
Improve 300 million lives (Vodafone Foundation)	By 2025	Achieved, confirmed September 2025 ​	Achieved
Reach 500,000 INS students	By end of 2026	382,000+ students across 159 centers; on track per Foundation	On track
36% women in management and senior leadership	Ongoing	36% achieved in FY2025 ​	Achieved
Sustainable Media Programme: emission reductions	Ongoing across 13 markets	34% reduction in media advertising emissions Q3 FY2023 to Q3 FY2024 ​	Achieved

Source

https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/997622618
https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/897876789
https://www.vodafone.com/sustainable-business/protecting-the-planet/promoting-circularity
https://foundation.vodafone.com/focus-areas/digital-skills-and-inclusion/instant-network-schools

Key Sustainability Innovations and Technologies

Vodafone’s sustainability innovation program combines near-total renewable electricity procurement, a published and time-bound Climate Transition Plan, circular economy device and network programs, a Sustainable Media Programme reducing non-obvious Scope 3 emissions, and a solar-powered humanitarian education platform at scale. Five innovations define the company’s FY2025 position.​

• Vodafone’s renewable electricity matching program achieved 99.8% grid electricity matched with renewable sources from continuing operations in FY2025, up from 94% in FY2024, through a combination of power purchase agreements, renewable energy certificates, direct renewable generators, and rooftop solar, positioning Vodafone at the forefront of renewable electricity coverage among global telecommunications operators​
• The Climate Transition Plan (FY2025 to FY2027), published May 2024, covers seven Scope 3 priority action areas including supply chain engagement, device lifecycle extension, customer use-phase reduction, green digital solutions, media emissions, sustainable logistics, and employee travel, providing the most granular publicly available Scope 3 action framework across Vodafone’s value chain
• The Device Circularity program, co-developed with GSMA, extends device lifecycles through repair, trade-in, refurbished device resale, and recycling across European markets; Vodafone Germany’s “One for One” initiative with Closing the Loop collects one used phone in Africa for professional recycling for every new private customer phone sold, and refurbished devices avoid approximately 50 kg CO2e per device over two years compared to new purchase​
• The Sustainable Media Programme reduced quarterly media and advertising Scope 3 emissions by 34% across 13 markets through programmatic advertising optimization and sustainable media buying standards, demonstrating that non-obvious Scope 3 categories can be reduced at scale through procurement standard changes rather than capital investment​
• The Instant Network Schools solar-powered classroom kit, consisting of tablets, a projector, a speaker, a laptop, pre-loaded curriculum in local languages, and internet connectivity, is deployed across 159 centers in six African countries, reaching 382,000+ students and 6,800+ teachers, all independently powered by solar panels without grid electricity dependency, and supported by 264 community coaches ensuring local program sustainability​

Source

https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/997622618
https://assets.ctfassets.net/q7ob9vms4z5k/2OdF9uYwLFlnioEyDe17bW/b9ed34da311368fb0851d2f2f1122454/vodafone-group-climate-transition-plan-2024.pdf
https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/external-affairs/gsma_study/vodafone-device-circularity-how-vodafone-is-building-and-scaling
https://scope3magazine.com/scope-1-2-and-3/vodafone-reduces-scope-3-advertising
https://foundation.vodafone.com/focus-areas/digital-skills-and-inclusion/instant-network-schools

Measurable Impacts

Vodafone’s FY2025 Annual Report and ESG Addendum cover the fiscal year ended 31 March 2025, with all ESG data restated for continuing operations excluding Vodafone Spain and Vodafone Italy. GHG emissions, energy data, and all primary ESG metrics are independently assured through third-party verification.

Carbon and energy:

• Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions (market-based): 0.28 million tCO2e in FY2025​
• Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions (location-based): 2.34 million tCO2e in FY2025​
• Scope 1 and 2 market-based reduction from FY2020 baseline: 61% by FY2025​
• Scope 3 GHG emissions: 6.61 million tCO2e in FY2025, 8% year-on-year reduction and 8% below the FY2020 baseline​
• Other Scope 3 categories (excluding investment-related): 10% increase year-on-year in FY2025, driven by higher smartphone versus feature phone sales volumes​
• Total energy use (continuing operations): 5,453 GWh in FY2025, up from 5,271 GWh in FY2024​
• Grid electricity matched with renewables: 99.8% of continuing operations in FY2025, up from 94% in FY2024​
• Renewable electricity in Europe: 94% in FY2025, up from 93% in FY2024​
• Sustainable Media Programme: quarterly media advertising emissions reduced 34% from Q3 FY2023 to Q3 FY2024 across 13 markets​

Circular economy:

• 100% of decommissioned network equipment reused, resold, or recycled in FY2025, achieving the 2025 target​
• 700,000 used phones collected against a 1 million target in FY2025​

Social impact:

• Vodafone Foundation achieved 300 million lives improved by 2025 target​
• 382,000+ students and 6,800+ teachers across 159 INS centers in 6 African countries, supported by 264 community coaches​
• 36% women in management and senior leadership in FY2025​
• Connected Education programme: 1.5 million students and teachers across 4,500 institutions in 10 countries​
• Vodacom e-School: 1.2 million users in South Africa​

Source

https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/897876789
https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/997622618
https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/897876789/38/
https://foundation.vodafone.com/focus-areas/digital-skills-and-inclusion/instant-network-schools

Challenges and Areas for Improvement

Vodafone faces five material sustainability challenges requiring structured responses in the next reporting cycle.

Scope 3 halving target at significant risk by 2030: Vodafone achieved only an 8% reduction in total Scope 3 emissions from the FY2020 baseline to FY2025, against a 2030 SBTi-validated target to halve Scope 3. With five years remaining to 2030 and 42 percentage points of reduction still required, this is the most acutely at-risk commitment in Vodafone’s entire climate portfolio. The 10% year-on-year increase in non-investment-related Scope 3 categories driven by device sales mix, specifically the shift toward higher-carbon smartphones, confirms that commercial growth pressures are running directly counter to the Scope 3 target trajectory. Without structural intervention in device selection standards, supplier decarbonization programs at scale, and customer use-phase emission reduction tools, the 2030 Scope 3 commitment is not credibly on track.​

Phone collection target missed by 30%: Vodafone collected 700,000 used phones against its 2025 target of 1 million phones for the Planet, a 30% shortfall on a commitment established as the company’s flagship circular economy consumer engagement target. The gap suggests that existing take-back mechanisms, retail trade-in programs, and digital collection channels have not generated sufficient consumer participation at scale across European markets. Publishing a revised and time-bound phone collection target for 2030 with market-specific volume commitments and implementation plans would demonstrate that this program is treated as a structural commercial obligation rather than a voluntary awareness initiative.​

Device sales Scope 3 category growing, not falling: Non-investment Scope 3 emissions increased 10% year-on-year in FY2025, driven by purchasing more devices to sell to customers, with a higher proportion of smartphones versus feature phones. Vodafone has not published a device sales carbon intensity reduction target, a minimum refurbished device sales percentage requirement as a share of total device sales, or a product carbon intensity threshold for new device procurement. Without these portfolio standards, Scope 3 category growth from device sales will continue to offset supply chain and investment-related reductions.​

Renewable electricity gap in Europe at 94%: Vodafone sourced 94% of electricity in Europe from renewable sources in FY2025, against a stated target of 100% renewable electricity in Europe by 2025. While the global continuing operations figure of 99.8% is near-total, the specific 100% European target was not fully achieved. Publishing a market-by-market breakdown of where the remaining 6% European gap sits, and specifying which markets are creating the shortfall, would allow investors and regulators to assess whether this reflects procurement constraints or a structural renewable energy availability gap in specific grid markets.​

Supply chain human rights program maturity gap: Vodafone’s Modern Slavery Statement 2024/25 acknowledges that FY2026 will involve implementation of a newly revised human rights supply chain strategy, including commissioning an external risk assessment and onboarding a new ESG performance management tool. This means the full supply chain human rights governance framework was not in place during FY2025, creating a gap relative to peers such as Verizon (764 EcoVadis assessments since 2013, 150 JAC audits in 2024) and Orange (“Partners to net zero” covering 60% of purchase-related emissions). Closing this gap through FY2026 implementation will be the critical test of whether Vodafone’s human rights supply chain commitment moves from strategic review to operational accountability.​

Source

https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/897876789/38/
https://www.vodafone.com/sustainable-business/protecting-the-planet/promoting-circularity
https://www.vodafone.com/~/media/Files/V/vodafone/Universal/documents/vodafone-plc-mss-2024-25.pdf
https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/997622618

Future Plans and Long-Term Goals

Vodafone’s long-term sustainability roadmap extends through region-specific operational net-zero milestones, 2030 SBTi-validated global interim targets, and full value chain net-zero in 2040, with the FY2026 and FY2027 reporting cycles representing the most critical near-term accountability windows for the highest-risk commitments. The completion of Vodafone’s portfolio restructuring, following the sale of Spain and Italy as discontinued operations, means all future ESG performance data will reflect a more focused continuing group, improving governance comparability while removing two markets from the ESG baseline.

By 2026, Vodafone targets:

• 500,000 students reached through Instant Network Schools, with Egypt’s 70 centers as the primary expansion hub and six-country network approaching full capacity
• Full implementation of revised human rights supply chain strategy, including external risk assessment completion, new ESG performance management tool fully operational, and KPI tracking framework activated across all supplier categories

By 2027, Vodafone targets:​

• Net-zero operations in the UK (Scope 1 and 2), within the FY2025 to FY2027 Climate Transition Plan delivery window
• Continued progress under all seven Scope 3 priority action areas including supply chain engagement, device portfolio standards, and Sustainable Media Programme expansion

By 2028, Vodafone targets:​

• Net-zero operations across all European continuing operations (Scope 1 and 2)

By 2030, Vodafone targets:

• Minimum 90% absolute Scope 1 and 2 reduction globally from FY2020 base (61% achieved by FY2025)
• Halving of Scope 3 emissions from FY2020 base (8% achieved by FY2025; most at-risk target in the portfolio)
• Enable 350 million tonnes CO2 avoided through green digital solutions for customers (13.5 million tCO2e avoided as of restated FY2022 figure)

By 2040, Vodafone targets:​

• Net-zero GHG emissions across full value chain, defined as a minimum 90% absolute reduction from FY2020 with remaining emissions neutralized through verified carbon removal

Vodafone leads global telecommunications peers on renewable electricity matching at the network level and on humanitarian connectivity scale through INS. It trails peers including Orange and T-Mobile on Scope 3 trajectory toward its 2030 halving target, and trails Verizon on supply chain due diligence program maturity and audit volume.

Source

https://assets.ctfassets.net/q7ob9vms4z5k/2OdF9uYwLFlnioEyDe17bW/b9ed34da311368fb0851d2f2f1122454/vodafone-group-climate-transition-plan-2024.pdf
https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/897876789
https://foundation.vodafone.com/focus-areas/digital-skills-and-inclusion/instant-network-schools

Comparisons to Industry Competitors

Vodafone’s two primary European telecommunications peers with published and verifiable ESG data for direct comparison are Orange and Deutsche Telekom. All three operate under EU CSRD-aligned reporting requirements, hold SBTi-validated climate targets, and face the same European regulatory disclosure environment.

Vodafone vs. Orange vs. Deutsche Telekom

Metric	Vodafone	Orange	Deutsche Telekom
Net zero target year	2040 (Scope 1, 2, and 3, SBTi Net-Zero Standard validated) ​	2040 (all scopes, SBTi validated) ​	2040 (full value chain) ​
Scope 1 and 2 market-based reduction achieved	61% reduction from FY2020 by FY2025 ​	38.6% reduction from 2015 by end of 2024 ​	Scope 1 and 2 climate neutrality achieved 2021 through renewables and verified removals ​
Scope 3 reduction achieved	8% reduction from FY2020 by FY2025; 2030 halving target at significant risk ​	10.7% reduction from 2018 by 2024; missed 14% 2025 target ​	Not confirmed at equivalent percentage in available data ​
Renewable electricity	99.8% of grid electricity matched with renewables in continuing operations FY2025 ​	47.8% of total electricity from renewables in 2024 ​	Climate neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 achieved 2021 ​
Region-specific net-zero milestones	Germany 2025, UK 2027, Europe 2028 (Scope 1 and 2) ​	Green ITN program; 38.6% Scope 1 and 2 reduction from 2015; no equivalent regional milestone structure ​	Scope 1 and 2 net zero achieved at group level 2021 ​
Network e-waste circularity	100% of decommissioned network equipment reused, resold, or recycled; 2025 target achieved ​	Green ITN program; 12,000+ solarized sites in Africa and Middle East ​	Circular economy program published in CR Report 2024 ​
Customer device collection	700,000 phones collected vs. 1 million target in FY2025 ​	29% of phones sold collected in 7 European countries in 2024 ​	Not published at equivalent metric ​
Humanitarian connectivity	382,000+ students through 159 INS centers in 6 countries; 300 million lives improved by 2025	2.5 million trained digitally; 39.7 million Orange Money customers in Africa and Middle East ​	Not published at equivalent humanitarian connectivity scale ​
Supply chain due diligence	Revised human rights strategy in implementation from FY2026 ​	“Partners to net zero” covering 35 largest suppliers (60% of purchase-related emissions) ​	Human rights and supply chain program published in CR Report 2024 ​
SBTi alignment	Full SBTi Net-Zero Standard validated; Climate Transition Plan FY25-FY27 published ​	Full SBTi validated targets (2025, 2030, 2040) ​	SBTi aligned; Scope 1 and 2 net zero achieved 2021 ​

Deutsche Telekom achieved Scope 1 and 2 climate neutrality in 2021, the earliest operational emissions neutrality point among all three peers, through a combination of renewable energy procurement and verified removals, setting a benchmark that neither Vodafone nor Orange has replicated at the group level for their full continuing operations. Vodafone leads both peers on renewable electricity matching at the network level, with 99.8% of grid electricity matched in continuing operations in FY2025, compared to Orange’s 47.8% in 2024. Orange leads Vodafone on digital inclusion scale and commercial financial inclusion through Orange Money, with 39.7 million active customers and a structurally integrated Africa and Middle East growth strategy, while Vodafone leads on humanitarian connectivity depth through the 159-center INS program reaching displaced and refugee student populations that commercial connectivity programs do not serve.

Source

https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/897876789
https://assets.ctfassets.net/q7ob9vms4z5k/2OdF9uYwLFlnioEyDe17bW/b9ed34da311368fb0851d2f2f1122454/vodafone-group-climate-transition-plan-2024.pdf
https://report.telekom.com/cr-report/2024/environment/climate-protection.html
https://report.telekom.com/cr-report/2024/environment/circular-economy.html

What to Watch: 12 to 18 Month Indicators

Three forward-looking signals will most directly determine whether Vodafone’s sustainability standing improves, holds, or deteriorates through mid-2027.

1. Scope 3 trajectory in FY2026 data (due mid-2026): Vodafone’s Scope 3 halving target by 2030 is the most acutely at-risk commitment in its sustainability portfolio, with only an 8% reduction from FY2020 achieved by FY2025 against a 50% target by 2030. The FY2026 ESG data, due in mid-2026, will confirm whether the seven Scope 3 priority action areas in the Climate Transition Plan, including device portfolio standards, Sustainable Media Programme expansion, and supplier decarbonization engagement, have begun to bend the Scope 3 trajectory materially downward. A second consecutive year of non-investment-related Scope 3 growth in FY2026 would confirm that the 2030 halving target is structurally unachievable without an emergency step-change in device sales standards and supply chain intervention.

2. Human rights supply chain strategy implementation verification (FY2026 deliverables): Vodafone committed in its Modern Slavery Statement 2024/25 to implementing a fully revised human rights supply chain strategy in FY2026, including external risk assessment completion, new ESG tool deployment, contract reviews, and JAC audit expansion. The FY2026 Annual Report and Modern Slavery Statement will be the first public verification of whether these structural commitments translated into operational delivery, including supplier counts assessed through the new ESG tool, contracts reviewed and strengthened, and JAC audit volume. Missing these FY2026 deliverables would confirm that Vodafone’s supply chain human rights governance remains materially weaker than peers maintaining structured audit programs for a decade or more.​

3. INS scale toward 500,000 students (by end of 2026): Vodafone Foundation reached 382,000+ students through 159 INS centers by early 2026, with 22 new centers opened in Egypt in November 2025 bringing Egypt’s total to 70, and the Foundation confirming it is on track toward 500,000 students by end of 2026. With approximately 118,000 students remaining to the target and approximately nine months to the deadline, center opening pace in Egypt and expansion trajectory in South Sudan, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, and DRC will determine target achievement. Reaching 500,000 students by end of 2026 and announcing a scaled post-2026 target with a new beneficiary count would confirm that INS has transitioned from a growing pilot into a self-sustaining program architecture.

Source

https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/897876789/38/
https://www.vodafone.com/~/media/Files/V/vodafone/Universal/documents/vodafone-plc-mss-2024-25.pdf
https://foundation.vodafone.com/news/vodafone-foundation/22-new-instant-network-schools-open-their-doors-in-egypt
https://foundation.vodafone.com/focus-areas/digital-skills-and-inclusion/instant-network-schools

Vodafone’s FY2025 sustainability performance reflects a company with genuinely strong operational credentials on renewable electricity and circular network infrastructure, but a widening structural gap between its Scope 3 commitments and its actual delivery trajectory. The achievement of 99.8% renewable electricity matching in continuing operations is substantive and places Vodafone at or near the top of European telecommunications peers on this specific metric. The Vodafone Foundation’s confirmation of 300 million lives improved by 2025, anchored by 159 Instant Network Schools centers across six African countries, represents the most geographically specific and independently verifiable social impact commitment achieved by any telecommunications operator in the FY2025 reporting cycle.

The Scope 3 gap is the most material risk to Vodafone’s ESG credibility and investor confidence. An 8% reduction from FY2020 against a 2030 target of 50% halving, combined with a 10% year-on-year increase in non-investment Scope 3 categories driven by device sales mix, creates a trajectory that cannot close the 42 remaining percentage points without structural intervention in device portfolio carbon standards, supply chain decarbonization at scale, and customer engagement on use-phase emission reduction. The simultaneous miss on the 1 million phone collection target at 700,000 and the 6-percentage-point shortfall on 100% renewable electricity in Europe confirm that Vodafone’s near-term execution reliability requires reinforcement alongside its long-term ambition.

Three strategic takeaways for practitioners benchmarking or replicating Vodafone’s approach:

• Vodafone’s Sustainable Media Programme, achieving a 34% reduction in advertising Scope 3 emissions across 13 markets through programmatic optimization and sustainable media buying standards, demonstrates that non-obvious Scope 3 category reduction is achievable through procurement policy change rather than capital investment, providing a directly replicable model for any large-scale media buyer seeking to address indirect emissions in marketing and communications value chains​
• The Climate Transition Plan structure, covering a three-year window (FY2025 to FY2027) with seven named Scope 3 priority action areas, region-specific operational net-zero milestones, and a rolling update cycle, provides a replicable governance template for companies seeking to move beyond static 2030 or 2040 net-zero commitments toward auditable near-term operational delivery frameworks
• The Instant Network Schools model, deploying solar-powered classroom kits in off-grid humanitarian settings with community coach sustainability built in from program design, provides a replicable template for private sector operators seeking to extend digital equity investment into geographies where conventional infrastructure is absent and where commercial connectivity programs cannot generate a viable return​

Source

https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/897876789
https://reports.investors.vodafone.com/view/997622618
https://assets.ctfassets.net/q7ob9vms4z5k/2OdF9uYwLFlnioEyDe17bW/b9ed34da311368fb0851d2f2f1122454/vodafone-group-climate-transition-plan-2024.pdf
https://foundation.vodafone.com/focus-areas/digital-skills-and-inclusion/instant-network-schools
https://www.vodafone.com/sustainable-business/protecting-the-planet/promoting-circularity