Following news that Vodafone has confirmed that its entire European operations – including mobile and fixed networks, data centres, retail and offices – will be 100% powered by electricity from renewable sources from 1 July 2021;

Emma Mohr-McClune, Service Director Technology at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:

“This is a milestone for the European telco landscape, but also a taste of things to come, as all Vodafone’s competitors race to make good on their new, more aggressive sustainability strategic agendas – agendas that range from energy consumption and CO2 reduction to greener packaging and much-improved second-hand device portfolios.

“Environmental awareness is nothing new for the telco community, of course. Most European operators have been dutifully reporting their CO2 and carbon footprint reduction goals as part of annual corporate responsibility reports for a decade or more. However, this year, the story has moved up several gears – in line with the demands of the Fridays for Future generation.

“A few weeks ago, the Orange Flex brand in Poland was the first to assert itself as a ‘carbon-neutral brand’, and Vodafone has now made good on its pan-European green energy sourcing goals. Watch all other telcos follow, in line with the consumer market’s appetite for greener, more sustainable products and service providers.”