Vodacom’s climate programme

Climate change threatens Africa with increased frequency and intensity of droughts, heatwaves and severe flooding. This presents material risks – physical and transition - to our operations, value chains, and the communities we serve. Effectively managing climate-related risks and opportunities is central to the success of our climate programme. We conduct scenario analysis, invest in capacity building and we continuously refine our responses including our policy and risk management frameworks

Our Climate Transition Plan (CTP) serves as a strategic roadmap for navigating these challenges. It outlines the key management actions necessary to support our transition to a low-carbon future and to enhance our climate resilience. Our CTP includes:

• Clear objectives and targets aligned with science-based pathways.
• Defined actions and resource allocations to reduce our operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 1 and 2).
• A focused approach to managing Scope 3 emissions through near-term initiatives and stakeholder collaboration.

Through this programme, we aim to embed climate resilience into our core business strategy, ensuring long-term value creation and environmental stewardship.

Notable severe weather impacts

We take a three-pronged approach to extreme weather disruptions:

• We act quickly to restore our network.
• We support our affected customers including providing free minutes and data and regular weather updates in several OpCos.
• In partnership with government and non-profit organisations, we mobilise humanitarian assistance by making donations and partnering with governments and aid organisations.

Managing network consumption

We manage network consumption by sourcing and implementing more efficient network equipment and reducing energy demand by:

• Introducing energy-saving network features;
• Modernising our network equipment and ancillary equipment like cooling; and
• Designing and selecting energy-efficient equipment for new sites.

 

Managing building and technology-centre consumption 

We maintain best practices in our technology centres and properties by installing efficient cooling equipment, lighting and control systems, and ensuring good housekeeping. Ongoing energy efficiency initiatives include:

• Hot and cold aisle containment where possible;
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades are implemented where technology centres are due for refurbishment (with more advanced controls, including AI); and
• Improved controls and configurations to reduce unnecessary use of equipment such as lighting and managing heating and cooling set points (for example, through a building management system).

On-site renewables

We seek to replace our diesel generators with renewable energy sources. Our approach for on-site renewables include:

• Solar and battery installations at off grid sites,
• Investments in solar at offices and data centres
• Pursuing new power-as-a-service agreements

Renewable electricity purchasing

We purchase renewable electricity from independent power producers through power purchase agreements and purchase renewable electricity certificates as part of our energy management strategy in countries where fossil fuel reliance is high, grid availability is low and the potential for renewable energy is limited.

Our transition requires technological advancement and the availability of renewable fuels and alternative technology to diesel generators. In the short term, we prioritise batteries over diesel generators, while in the long term, we are seeking diesel alternatives, including connecting off grid sites to the grid, deploying wind and solar where possible and we are exploring newer technologies, including microturbines and hydrogen fuel cells.

• Vodacom uses Vodafone’s key global supplier benchmarks. Suppliers provide details of their GHG emissions and management programmes through the CDP, a global disclosure system that helps companies measure and report their environmental impacts.
• When new suppliers tender for work, they need to demonstrate policies and procedures that prioritise people (support safe working conditions and diversity in the workplace) and address environmental concerns (GHG emissions reduction, renewable energy, plastic reduction, circular economy and product life cycle). These aspects account for up to 20% of the overall evaluation criteria.

Our IoT services, including logistics, fleet management and smart metering, are underpinned by a robust commercial rationale with three main opportunities for customers.

• Increased efficiency and reduced wastage: IoT enables organisations to monitor operational processes, identify waste and address the source.
• Using IoT to deliver cost efficiencies: Connectivity allows products and services, such as shared distribution networks and vehicle sharing, to be automated and shared, reducing the cost and carbon impact.
• Monitoring and changing customer behaviour: IoT products connect directly to customers, allowing us to monitor trends, such as shifting demands for energy.

Our approach prioritises reuse and resale wherever technically and commercially feasible, extending asset lifecycles before materials enter end-of-life treatment. Equipment that cannot be reused is systematically directed to certified recycling streams, with a strong focus on avoiding landfill and incineration.

We aim to engage with suppliers who share our ambition of building a more circular economy for network equipment. We plan to increasingly source equipment with circular design features when replacing or upgrading our network infrastructure.

We support customers to prolong the longevity of their devices by making high-quality devices more affordable with contracts of up to forty-eight months. We collect, refurbish and reuse fixed-line equipment (such as broadband routers) to reduce e-waste and unlock cost savings.

• RedLovesGreen campaign encourages customers to return their devices to our repair centres in South Africa.
• Good as New programme aims to drive smartphone penetration and reduce e-waste by providing certified pre-owned smartphones at an affordable price in South Africa.

Our general waste management initiatives include assessing our consumption patterns, choosing more environmentally friendly options and working with suppliers to cut trash. We continue to focus on achieving results against our objective of improving recycling management to send less waste to landfills.

Our waste stream management practices support the responsible delivery of products to consumers. This includes paperless branch processes, signing green leases for stores that include water, waste and electricity targets and reducing plastic use.

Rainfall in Africa is highly variable, characterised by sharp contrasts between arid regions and tropical zones. Variations in rainfall can affect agriculture, access to drinkable water and ecosystem health. Our OpCos are exposed to frequent floods, droughts and extreme temperatures, as all the countries in which we operate are considered medium-high to extremely high-water risk.

While our operations are not water-intensive, we have several measures in place to reduce our water usage and reliance on the municipal water supply by establishing water harvesting plants and borehole extraction points at various facilities.