Vodafone

How ethical is Vodafone? 

Vodafone is a poorly-ranked brand in The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Ratings.

Vodafone is a mobile phone network owned by Vodafone Group Plc and receives a low Good Shopping Guide score in our Ethical Mobile Phones Networks Ratings Table. Although Vodafone has not yet met our Ethical Benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future, and strive for Ethical Accreditation.

In which areas does Vodafone perform well? 

Vodafone performs well in its Environmental Report, was not found to invest or be involved in the nuclear industries or armaments, and does not make political donations.

Vodafone’s Annual Report contains a number of targets, including a commitment to reducing GHG emissions, using renewable energy, and increasing recycling.

In which areas does Vodafone perform poorly? 

Despite Vodafone’s progress, there is still room for improvement. The brand was marked down under our Human Rights criteria. An Amnesty International report stated that:

“Major electronics and electric vehicle companies are still not doing enough to stop human rights abuses entering their cobalt supply chains, almost two years after an Amnesty International investigation exposed how batteries used in their products could be linked to child labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the organization said today.  

A new report, Time to Recharge, ranks industry giants including Apple, Samsung Electronics, Dell, Microsoft, BMW, Renault and Tesla on how much they have improved their cobalt sourcing practices since January 2016. It finds that while a handful of companies have made progress, others are still failing to take even basic steps like investigating supply links in the DRC.  Vodafone is ranked at the bottom as ‘no action taken’.” 

How can Vodafone brand improve its Ethical Rating?

The Good Shopping Guide score results from multiple ethical criteria in relation to Vodafone. To reach our minimum Ethical Benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Vodafone has some issues to resolve, including its cobalt sourcing practices, which drastically affect the brand’s score for human rights.

If your mobile phone network brand values ethics and sustainability, why not check out The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation? Increase customer and investor confidence and stand out from the greenwash.