Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Vodafone's financial inclusion services reached 77 million customers in Africa in 2025, exceeding its target of 75 million by March 2026.

The company offers device financing schemes like Vodacom's Pouko Pouko, which sold 204,000 devices by December 2024, with 31% going to women and 31% to rural customers. The M-Koba savings program has 2 million members, 70% of whom are women. Vodafone's ConnectU provides free access to basic internet and essential services in South Africa, DRC, and Mozambique. The company also provides financial education training to 950 women with disabilities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through the Je Suis Cap program. Vodafone's M-Pesa service has 51 million customers and processes $314 billion in transactions per year. The company is expanding 4G coverage in Africa, reaching 76% in FY25, and 5G coverage in Europe, reaching 75% in FY25. Vodafone's cloud-based phone, priced at R249 (US$13.93) in South Africa, includes popular applications as standard.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Vodafone's CEO to median employee pay ratio was 60:1 in 2025.

The company reported a median gender pay gap of 8.9% in the UK as of its 2025 report, meaning women earn 91.1% of men's median pay. In the financial year ended March 31, 2024, Vodafone's JAC audits identified one incident related to forced labor (an employment contract not including working hours and compensation). Additionally, Vodafone's own supplier quality assessments found three issues related to working hours across two suppliers, for which remedial actions were agreed upon. Vodafone provides access to either Company or State-provided healthcare for all employees as a global standard.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Vodafone requires 100% of its suppliers to comply with its Code of Ethical Purchasing, which includes ethical sourcing clauses.

In 2023-24, Vodafone conducted 154 on-site audits (JAC and own audits) for its approximately 8,000-9,000 direct suppliers, indicating an average audit frequency of once every ~52 years per supplier. In the same period, four issues related to forced labor were identified, with remedial actions taken for all. Remedial actions for issues identified in supplier quality assessments are agreed upon, and suppliers are expected to immediately address failures, but a median closure time is not specified. Vodafone's new supplier evaluation includes a 5% weighting for diversity and inclusion, but no specific procurement budget percentage is directed to diverse suppliers. The company has a Responsible Minerals Programme and publishes Conflict Minerals Reports, with 20% of high-risk spend under comprehensive mitigation.

No War, No Weapons

Vodafone reviews annually how its suppliers procure and manufacture products, including determining if minerals originate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or an adjoining country.

The company adheres to standards set by the SEC and Europe’s OECD, indicating some alignment with UN Guiding Principles. Vodafone has a corporate transparency program but releases limited details on surveillance contracts, with key projects redacted. The company aims to ensure that none of the products or components it buys contain 3TG metals that have helped to fund conflict, and it has submitted Conflict Minerals reports and Specialized Disclosures to the SEC. However, no specific percentage of conflict-free materials is provided, and it determines whether minerals originate in the DRC or an adjoining country, but no specific percentage of procurement from these areas is given. Vodafone provides communications technology to the Defence sector and partners with military-affiliated organizations.

Planet-Friendly Business

Vodafone Group's total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions were 9,430,000 tCO2e in 2025, representing a 5.23% decrease compared to 2024.

The company publicly disclosed its GHG emissions according to the GHG Protocol, covering all scopes with a category-level breakdown for 12 out of 15 Scope 3 categories. Vodafone has set science-based targets validated by the SBTi, aiming to reduce operational emissions (Scope 1 & 2) by at least 90% by 2030 and halve value chain emissions (Scope 3) by 2030, with a net-zero target for the full value chain by 2040. The company has achieved 100% renewable electricity matching in its European operations since July 2021 and 81% across the Group in FY23, with a global target of 100% by 2025. Vodafone reused, resold, or recycled 96% of its network waste in FY24. The company measured the climate impact of its digital and traditional media activities across 13 channels in 13 markets in 2023, leading to a 34% reduction in the carbon footprint of these activities. Vodafone was recognized as a Supplier Engagement Leader by CDP in 2022 for engaging suppliers on climate risk and reducing carbon emissions in the supply chain. The company published its first Climate Transition Plan in May 2024, developed with reference to the UK Transition Plan Taskforce framework, and regularly conducts scenario analysis to identify climate-related risks and opportunities. Vodafone aims to neutralize remaining emissions through carbon offsetting in line with the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s Core Carbon Principles. In Romania, Vodafone created a system using acoustic sensors and AI to identify logging sounds and send real-time alerts to forest administrators. The company aims to engage with key suppliers to align their climate ambitions and accelerate decarbonization plans.

Safe & Smart Tech

Vodafone experienced a breach in November 2020 affecting 4.5 million users, resulting in a €12.5 million fine from the Italian Data Protection Authority for GDPR violations related to acquiring customer data without consent.

Additionally, Vodafone Germany was fined €45 million for insufficient data protection checks and authentication weaknesses exposing eSIM profiles. The company has a global AI governance board and a pan-European ethical AI policy and controls framework, emphasizing risk assessment, transparency, bias mitigation, and human oversight. Vodafone is ISO 27001 certified across its global technology function and 11 local markets. Mandatory cyber training is conducted annually for mobile networks, and a 'Doing What's Right' program has a target completion rate of 90% for all employees. Vodafone uses pseudonymised and permissioned customer data and aims to design AI with respect for privacy. The company performs over 1,000 penetration tests annually, including independent third-party testing, and follows a 'Secure by Design' process for all products and services. Vodafone states that data is not stored longer than necessary or as required by applicable laws. Multi-factor authentication is being implemented as part of a zero-trust security strategy. Vodafone engages with stakeholders, regulators, and governments to promote proportionate, risk-based security solutions and is involved in cross-industry collaboration and security standards working groups.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Vodafone reported that 96% of its non-hazardous network waste was reused, resold, or recycled in FY24, with 4% disposed of.

The company has eliminated unnecessary plastic and single-use items across its retail stores and offices since 2020. Vodafone operates collection, trade-in, and buyback schemes for customer devices in various markets, and its Vodafone Germany 'One for One' initiative collected over 1.5 million phones in two years. The company collaborates with other operators to develop Eco Rating for smartphones, providing environmental impact information. Vodafone has implemented waste reduction initiatives such as an internal asset marketplace for repurposing equipment and an Advanced Repair Centre for device refurbishment. Vodafone aims to reuse, sell, or recycle 100% of its network waste by 2025 and applies a 20% weighting for environmental and social criteria, including waste reduction, when selecting suppliers. Vodafone provides information on the environmental impact of phones through Eco Rating and promotes recycling. No waste disposal violations were mentioned in the provided articles.