To better understand the Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Industry’s role in today’s most pressing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, Deloitte is interviewing industry leaders, investors, experts, and policy makers to highlight best practices in ESG across the ecosystem.
During this interview, Deloitte’s Global TMT Industry Leader, Ariane Bucaille, has an insightful discussion with Dorothee D’Herde, Head of Sustainable Business at Vodafone Group.
Vodafone has set ambitious targets for sustainability. To reach these goals the company seeks to:
The company can point to several examples where these principles have been brought to life.
In Africa and Turkey, where large mobile gender-gaps exist, Vodafone aims to connect an additional thirty million women to their networks by 2025. The business case lies in the facts that women have lower churn rates and are more likely to recommend Vodafone to others. Greater connectivity has been shown to lead to improved social outcomes in health, education, and financial inclusion. Vodafone also sponsors a service that sends mothers text messages with information on childcare.
The popularity of M-Pesa, a mobile payment platform, makes it an important source of revenue for Vodafone, especially in Africa. The service has helped scores of women leave subsistence farming and improve their prospects
Vodafone’s Digital for Green services helps corporate customers reduce carbon emissions through applications that can target energy, logistics, and agriculture. In Guadalajara, Vodafone connected 13,000 LED lights to smart systems, resulting in a 68% reduction in energy use.