Vodafone Archives - SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine Insights on how you can protect the environment, maintain and increase the value of your company, through a structured CSR/Sustainability process with the use of the GRI Standards. Learn how Today's Best-Run Companies are achieving Economic, Social, and Environmental Success - and How You Can Too... Thu, 23 Feb 2023 09:49:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.3 Case study: How Vodafone supports working parents https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-vodafone-supports-working-parents/ Mon, 07 Oct 2019 12:42:05 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=10086 Vodafone employs over 108,000 people and is one of the largest foreign investors in many of the countries in which it operates. Aspiring to become the world’s best employer for women by 2025, , confident that they can grow their careers while raising a family. This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainable Business Report by Vodafone published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on […]

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]]> Vodafone employs over 108,000 people and is one of the largest foreign investors in many of the countries in which it operates. Aspiring to become the world’s best employer for women by 2025, Vodafone seeks to make sure that working parents are encouraged and supported to return to work after the birth of a child  Tweet This!, confident that they can grow their careers while raising a family.

This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainable Business Report by Vodafone published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Research by KPMG shows that recruiting and training new employees to replace women who do not stay in the workforce after having a baby, could cost businesses worldwide up to US$47 billion every year. In order to support working parents Vodafone took action to:

  • introduce a global minimum maternity policy
  • implement flexible working policies
  • launch Vodafone Day Care

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2017 Sustainable Business Report Vodafone identified a range of material issues, such as digital rights including privacy, data protection and security, socio-economic benefits arising from products and services, health and safety, corporate taxation and total economic contribution, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Among these, supporting working parents stands out as a key material issue for Vodafone.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Vodafone engages with:

Stakeholder Group
Consumer and enterprise customers
Shareholders
Employees
Suppliers and partners
Governments and regulators
Local communities
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and

civil society activists
Industry peers

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Vodafone engaged with peers, NGOs, civil society activists and sustainable business specialists, seeking their insights on the most material sustainability issues for both Vodafone and society as a whole.

What actions were taken by Vodafone to support working parents?

In its 2017 Sustainable Business Report Vodafone reports that it took the following actions for supporting working parents:

  • Introducing a global minimum maternity policy
  • In 2016, Vodafone became one of the first organisations in the world to introduce a global minimum maternity policy. The policy applies to employees at all levels in every country in which Vodafone operates, including countries with little or no paid statutory maternity leave. Over 4,000 of Vodafone’s female employees have gone on maternity leave during 2015-17 and all were eligible to benefit from the policy, which offers at least 16 weeks fully paid maternity leave, plus full pay for a 30-hour week for the first six months.
  • Implementing flexible working policies
  • Taking advantage of its remote working technologies, Vodafone applies flexible working, part-time working and homeworking policies across many of its local markets, designed to make it easier for women and men to balance family and work commitments. Individual local market flexible working practices include the following:
    • Vodafone Italy employees are encouraged to work from home for one day each week;
    • Vodafone Turkey employees benefit from flexible working hours and can choose earlier or later start or finish times, to help them balance work and personal commitments;
    • full-time employees of Vodafone India can take an unpaid sabbatical (from 90 days to more than one year) to look after children or family members or to develop skills and interests.
  • Launching Vodafone Day Care
  • Vodafone Egypt aims to be the most family-friendly employer in the country and introduces policies to help retain female employees after they have children. In collaboration with one of the top childcare providers in Egypt, it has launched Vodafone Day Care, to provide an on-site childcare facility at its head office offering convenient and high-quality childcare for employees with young children. Vodafone Egypt currently has 22% women in management and leadership roles, and is actively working towards the goal of 30% female representation by 2020.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standard addressed in this case is: Disclosure 401-3 Parental leave

Disclosure 401-3 Parental leave corresponds to:

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

  • Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
  • Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
  • Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
  • Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Vodafone, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page

3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx

4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Vodafone: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

The post Case study: How Vodafone supports working parents appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Vodafone increases employment opportunities for young people through its business https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-vodafone-increases-employment-opportunities-for-young-people-through-its-business/ Sun, 03 Mar 2019 14:59:19 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=8870 Vodafone’s products and services play a central role in the daily lives of over half a billion people, across more than 26 markets globally. At the same time, unemployment and underemployment among younger people remain a significant global challenge. Accordingly, every year Vodafone hires approximately 7,000 people aged 25 or under across its businesses worldwide, while creating additional employment opportunities for large numbers of young people in its supply chain and retail distribution networks. This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainable Business Report by Vodafone published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at […]

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]]>

Vodafone’s products and services play a central role in the daily lives of over half a billion people, across more than 26 markets globally. At the same time, unemployment and underemployment among younger people remain a significant global challenge. Accordingly, every year Vodafone hires approximately 7,000 people aged 25 or under across its businesses worldwide, while creating additional employment opportunities for large numbers of young people in its supply chain and retail distribution networks.

This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainable Business Report by Vodafone published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Layout 1

Abstract

With an estimated 71 million young people unemployed worldwide and 156 million young workers currently living in poverty, helping young people globally develop their digital skills and access learning and employment opportunities is a top priority for Vodafone  Tweet This!. In order to increase employment opportunities for young people through its business Vodafone took action to:

  • offer work experience and insight into work events
  • provide entry-level training
  • offer internships
  • implement the Discover graduate programme

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2017 Sustainable Business Report Vodafone identified a range of material issues, such as digital rights including privacy, data protection and security, corporate taxation and total economic contribution, health and safety, business conduct and ethics, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Among these, increasing employment opportunities for young people through its business stands out as a key material issue for Vodafone.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Vodafone engages with:

Stakeholder Group
Consumer and enterprise customers
Shareholders
Employees
Suppliers and partners
Governments and regulators
Local communities
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and

civil society activists
Industry peers

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Vodafone engaged with peers, NGOs, civil society activists and sustainable business specialists, gaining their insights on the most important social, economic, environmental and ethical issues for both Vodafone and society as a whole.

What actions were taken by Vodafone to increase employment opportunities for young people through its business?

In its 2017 Sustainable Business Report Vodafone reports that it took the following actions for increasing employment opportunities for young people through its business:

  • Offering work experience and insight into work events
  • Vodafone’s work experience activities include week-long work experience placements, with job shadowing and development opportunities. In addition, Vodafone encourages its employees to bring young people into Vodafone so they can gain an insight into working life, through ‘bring your kids to work’ days. In some markets, Vodafone also offers secondary school-age girls the opportunity to learn key digital skills, through, for example, 500 places on a one-week coding programme available during the school holidays.
  • Providing entry-level training
  • Vodafone is expanding vocational training and apprenticeships across all the countries in which it operates, focusing on its technology and customer care divisions. These programmes enable apprentices to join Vodafone in permanent roles while being supported through continuous learning, in order to gain a formal qualification in their chosen fields. In the UK, Vodafone’s apprenticeship programme offers young people practical work experience and job-specific skills while being paid a competitive salary (at the UK Living Wage or above) and studying for an industry-recognised foundation degree qualification. Every apprentice is supported by a line manager and mentors, Vodafone’s Future Talent Team and Human Resources Business Partners, and has a personal tutor for their academic work. Currently, Vodafone has 90 apprentices in the UK and during the last four years over 120 young people participated in apprenticeships, in areas ranging from business administration and customer services to IT.
  • Offering internships
  • Vodafone’s internship programmes provide opportunities for undergraduate students to join the company for between one and six months in full-time positions across Vodafone’s businesses, as part of their degree. Involvement in challenging business-critical activities and projects allows interns to gain relevant business experience as part of their studies, also encouraging them to return to Vodafone post-graduation under Vodafone’s Discover graduate programme.
  • Implementing the Discover graduate programme
  • Vodafone’s Discover graduate programme offers young people with bachelor’s or master’s degrees a series of assignments across Vodafone’s business areas and local markets. Approximately 900 graduates are recruited worldwide every year, providing Vodafone with a strong pipeline of future talent. The Discover programme is also highly diverse, with more than 55% of new entrants being women, and recruits drawn from 55 different countries. During the last five years, Vodafone offered permanent roles to over 3,500 Discover Those who did not progress into a full-time role with Vodafone at the end of their training, were well placed to secure good job opportunities elsewhere.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standard addressed in this case is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

 

Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts corresponds to:

  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
  • Business theme: Availability of products and services for those on low incomes, Economic development in areas of high poverty
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
  • Business theme: Changing the productivity of organizations, sectors, or the whole economy
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
  • Business theme: Access to medicines
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Business theme: Changing the productivity of organizations, sectors, or the whole economy, Indirect impact on job creation, Jobs supported in the supply chain
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
  • Business theme: Economic development in areas of high poverty, Foreign direct investment
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
  • Business theme: Foreign direct investment

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

  • Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
  • Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
  • Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
  • Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Vodafone, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page

3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx

4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Vodafone: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

The post Case study: How Vodafone increases employment opportunities for young people through its business appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Vodafone is reducing energy use in its general business and administrative activities https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-vodafone-is-reducing-energy-use-in-its-general-business-and-administrative-activities/ Wed, 16 Jan 2019 07:04:52 +0000 https://ccprowebs.com/new-sustaincase.com/?p=8245 As one of the world’s largest mobile operators, whose products and services play a central role in the daily lives of over half a billion people across more than 26 markets, Vodafone has a number of programmes and initiatives in place to reduce the energy requirements for its office buildings and administrative systems and to help employees reduce their own carbon impact. This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainable Business Report by Vodafone published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ […]

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]]>

As one of the world’s largest mobile operators, whose products and services play a central role in the daily lives of over half a billion people across more than 26 markets, Vodafone has a number of programmes and initiatives in place to reduce the energy requirements for its office buildings and administrative systems and to help employees reduce their own carbon impact.

This case study is based on the 2017 Sustainable Business Report by Vodafone published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Layout 1

Abstract

Improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions across its network and activities is a top priority for Vodafone.  Tweet This! In order to reduce energy use in its general business and administrative activities Vodafone took action to:

  • achieve a green building certification
  • implement innovative sustainable building techniques
  • modernise stores

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2017 Sustainable Business Report Vodafone identified a range of material issues, such as digital rights including privacy, data protection and security, socio-economic benefits arising from Vodafone’s products and services, business conduct and ethics, employee equality and diversity. Among these, reducing energy use in its general business and administrative activities stands out as a key material issue for Vodafone.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The organization should identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Vodafone engages with:

Stakeholder Group
Consumer and enterprise customers
Shareholders
Employees
Suppliers and partners
Governments and regulators
Local communities
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and

civil society activists
Industry peers

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

To identify and prioritise material topics Vodafone engaged with peers, NGOs, civil society activists and sustainable business specialists to obtain their views on the most important social, economic, environmental and ethical issues for the company and society as a whole.

What actions were taken by Vodafone to reduce energy use in its general business and administrative activities?

In its 2017 Sustainable Business Report Vodafone reports that it took the following actions for reducing energy use in its general business and administrative activities:

  • Achieving a green building certification
  • Many Vodafone offices are certified to the green building certification LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which provides a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of green buildings. Accordingly, the following Vodafone buildings have been awarded a certification under the category for Commercial Interiors:
    • Vodafone Spain headquarters – platinum standard
    • Vodafone Germany headquarters – platinum standard
    • Vodafone Turkey office and call centre – platinum standard
    • Vodafone Czech Republic headquarters – gold standard
    • Vodafone Italy – silver standard for headquarters building in Milan and gold standard for offices in Padua
    • Vodafone India – seven Vodafone buildings have LEED certification
  • Implementing innovative sustainable building techniques
  • Vodafone’s carbon-neutral SSIC (Site Solution Innovation Centre) in South Africa generates enough renewable energy to meet comfortably its own power consumption. It was the first ever building to be awarded the maximum six stars from the Green Building Council of South Africa. The building incorporates a wide range of innovative sustainable building techniques, such as thermal rock stores to capture and store thermal energy, mechanical solar panels that move with the sun and technologies which reuse greywater to limit freshwater consumption.
  • Modernising stores
  • Vodafone owns and operates almost 8,000 retail stores worldwide. To modernise all stores (including those that are operated under franchise) and improve their energy efficiency, Vodafone is implementing an extensive programme, with 5,500 stores already refurbished.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 302-1 Energy consumption within the organization

2) Disclosure 302-4 Reduction of energy consumption

3) Disclosure 305-4 GHG emissions intensity

4) Disclosure 305-5 Reduction of GHG emissions

 

Disclosure 302-1 Energy consumption within the organization corresponds to:

Disclosure 302-4 Reduction of energy consumption corresponds to:

Disclosure 305-4 GHG emissions intensity corresponds to:

  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
  • Business theme: GHG emissions
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
  • Business theme: Ocean acidification
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
  • Business theme: Forest degradation

Disclosure 305-5 Reduction of GHG emissions corresponds to:

  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
  • Business theme: GHG emissions
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
  • Business theme: Ocean acidification
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
  • Business theme: Forest degradation

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.



7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

  • Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
  • Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
  • Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
  • Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Vodafone, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page

3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx

4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Vodafone: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

The post Case study: How Vodafone is reducing energy use in its general business and administrative activities appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> Case study: How Vodafone responds to customer and public concerns about mobiles, masts and public health https://sustaincase.com/case-study-how-vodafone-responds-to-customer-and-public-concerns-about-mobiles-masts-and-public-health-2/ Tue, 09 Aug 2016 13:36:22 +0000 http://sustaincase.com/?p=1412 As one of the world’s largest mobile telecommunications companies, the trust of its customers and other stakeholders, especially in matters of public health, is of vital significance for Vodafone and for the value of its brand. This case study is based on the 2014/2015 Sustainability Report by Vodafone published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate that CSR/ sustainability reporting done responsibly is achieved by identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment and stakeholders and by measuring, managing and changing.  Abstract As a global leader […]

The post Case study: How Vodafone responds to customer and public concerns about mobiles, masts and public health appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

]]> As one of the world’s largest mobile telecommunications companies, the trust of its customers and other stakeholders, especially in matters of public health, is of vital significance for Vodafone and for the value of its brand.

This case study is based on the 2014/2015 Sustainability Report by Vodafone published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate that CSR/ sustainability reporting done responsibly is achieved by identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment and stakeholders and by measuring, managing and changing. 

Abstract

As a global leader in mobile telecommunications and mobile technology over the past 30 years, the health and safety of Vodafone’s customers and the public is a key priority. In order to respond to customer and public concerns about mobiles, masts and public health Vodafone took action to:

  • make sure its mobiles and masts operate well within the guidelines set by the International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
  • form a board dedicated to radiofrequency (RF) matters
  • monitor electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions and ensure that all parts of its business adhere to strict industry-wide standards on the electromagnetic radiation created by mobile devices and masts and
  • fund independent EMF research into the priority areas identified by the World Health Organization

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2014/2015 Sustainability Report Vodafone identified a number of material issues, such as transformational and low carbon solutions, privacy and security, human rights, ethics. Among these, earning and retaining the trust of  its customers and other stakeholders by responding to public concerns about mobiles, masts and public health stands out as a key priority for Vodafone as a global  leader in mobile telecommunications with 446 million customers in 26 countries.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The organization should identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Vodafone engages with:

Stakeholder Group Method of engagement
Opinion

formers and

experts

 ·     Consultations with experts on a wide range of issues to gain feedback on sustainability practices, priorities and challenges

 
Non-

governmental

organisations

(NGOs)

 ·     Face-to-face meetings

·     Meeting representatives at relevant events

 
Enterprise

customers

 ·     Working with enterprise customers to help them achieve their sustainability objectives
Consumers ·     Communicating through retail outlets, contact centres and customer research
Industry ·     Participation in industry forums on sustainability issues
Communities ·     Consulting local people to help Vodafone understand and address their concerns about the deployment of its network in their communities
Governments

and regulators

 ·     Engaging with governments and regulators on a wide range of issues relevant to Vodafone’s business
Employees ·     Global People Survey

·     Engaging informally through internal communications channels and regular meetings with managers
Suppliers ·     Assessments and workshops to help suppliers improve their performance

·     Collaborating with key network suppliers
Investors ·     Investor Relations team

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

Vodafone identified the issues its stakeholders were most concerned about through stakeholder engagement, as described in the table above.

What actions were taken by Vodafone to respond to customer and public concerns about mobiles, masts and public health?

In its 2014/2015 Sustainability Report Vodafone reports that it took the following actions for responding to customer and public concerns about mobiles, masts and public health, based on the company’s approach to materiality – on taking action on what matters, where it matters:

  • Operating within explicit guidelines
  • Vodafone’s mobiles and masts operate in accordance with the guidelines set by the International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), an independent advisory body which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • Forming a board on radiofrequency (RF) matters
  • [tweetthis]Vodafone has a board devoted to radiofrequency (RF) matters.[/tweetthis] The board:
    • monitors public concerns
    • aids local markets in providing public information and advice
    • reviews the available information about mobile devices, masts and health
    • determines Vodafone’s strategy, policies and goals
  • Monitoring electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions
  • In some markets (such as Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and the UK) Vodafone has Independent Field Monitoring Initiatives that record RF emissions in specific locations 24 hours a day. The data is sent to a central point and measured against International Commission of Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines or national limits on EMF. Community members can access the data through websites hosted by local councils or universities. For instance, the HERMES Programme in Greece monitors electromagnetic radiation emitted by a variety of sources in the environment.
  • Vodafone’s policies on RF Safety ensure that Vodafone follows strict industry-wide standards on the electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile devices and masts. Levels of compliance are assessed across the Group once a year.
  • In 2014/15, all of Vodafone’s European markets and all but two markets in the Asia, Middle East & Africa region complied fully with its policy on RF safety.
  • Funding independent EMF research
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) is giving priority to studies that are monitoring possible long-term health effects and the use of mobile phones by children.
  • Vodafone is devoted to developing scientific understanding of the effects of mobile devices and base stations on health by funding independent scientific research – indirectly through national, regional and international research programmes – into the areas of main concern identified by the WHO.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicators/Standards addressed in this case are:

1) G4-PR1: Percentage of significant product and service categories for which health and safety impacts are assessed for improvement – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 416-1 Assessment of the health and safety impacts of product and service categories

2) G4-PR2: Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning the health and safety impacts of products and services during their life cycle, by type of outcomes – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 416-2 Incidents of non-compliance concerning the health and safety impacts of products and services

 

References:

1) This case study was compiled using published information by Vodafone which is located at the links below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses but made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following links:

http://www.vodafone.com/content/dam/sustainability/2015/pdf/vodafone-full-report-2015.pdf (2014/2015 Sustainability Report by Vodafone)

http://www.vodafone.com/content/index/about/sustainability/mpmh/commitment-and-goals.html (May 2016)

2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page

3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx

4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

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