Vodacom Group has been recognized for
its outstanding performance in transparency and proactive measures in tackling
climate change by the CDP, a not-for-profit organization that runs the global
disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to
manage their environmental impacts.
In the latest CDP assessment, which
serves as the global gold standard in environmental reporting, Vodacom Group
earned a superior score of A-, an improvement from a B in 2022, indicative of
the company’s accelerated progress in taking action against the climate crisis.
This score is above both the African regional average (B-) and the media,
telecommunications and data centre services sector average (B).
“We
are proud to be recognized by the CDP for environmental leadership in
disclosing action on climate change not only in our sector but also on the
continent. Our improved score reflects our ongoing efforts on our purpose-led
journey to reduce our carbon footprint, develop a climate transition plan and
ensure we are building an inclusive, sustainable future,” says
Shameel Joosub, Vodacom Group CEO.
In 2023 over 23 000 companies
reported, through the CDP, on climate change, water security and forests. CDP’s
scoring methodology assesses the level of detail and comprehensiveness in
response, as well as the company’s awareness of environmental issues, its
management methods and progress towards environmental stewardship. The CDP
score is widely used to drive investment and procurement decisions.
Vodacom’s high CDP score marks a
significant milestone in the Group’s commitment to contributing to a low-carbon
economy in alignment with the Paris Agreement, which requires reducing
emissions to keep global temperatures well-below 2°C and pursue means to limit
the increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. As part of Vodacom’s climate
transition plan, the company aims to halve scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions and procure 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
To achieve these goals, the company is
focused on reducing its energy consumption, investing in on-site renewable
energy, purchasing renewable energy certificates, and exploring alternatives to
diesel.
In 2023, Vodacom announced a
first-of-its-kind partnership with Eskom, South Africa’s electricity provider,
to develop a solution to procure and ‘virtually wheel’ renewable power from
utility-scale independent power producers. This presents an opportunity for
other companies to follow suit, contribute renewable power to the national grid
and reduce their emissions.
In Egypt, we also implemented a
first-of-its kind agreement with the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and
Energy to purchase renewable electricity from the New and Renewable Energy
Authority. This supports the investment case for growing the Egyptian
renewables sector and the development of a market mechanism to sell and
purchase renewable electricity. Additionally, it offers a blueprint for other
corporate renewable electricity buyers to follow.
“As
Vodacom, we recognise the critical role businesses play in addressing
environmental challenges. We are therefore integrating sustainability into our
core strategies and collaborating with other organisations and governments to
drive meaningful change and safeguard our planet for generations to come,”
concludes Joosub.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye