Vodacom joins the world to celebrate World Environment Day

June 8 marked World Environment Day to celebrate biodiversity and the importance of nature to life. However, the world commemorated this day during a global pandemic and therefore, many people celebrated the day indoors or virtually, not fully enjoying the joys that nature brings to biodiversity.

When various countries around the world announced containment measures such as lockdowns, quarantines, and curfews to help contain the spread of the coronavirus, this inadvertently led to restricted public movement except for essential workers.

Vodacom launched its purpose-led journey in 2019 focusing on three main sustainability pillars namely: digital society, inclusion for all and planet. Under the planet pillar, the team advocates for sustainable energy, water and waste management.

They are fully aware that as their operations grow, so is the risk of more water and energy consumption including waste generation.

In South Africa, this day is during Youth Month and therefore, the youth are encouraged to engage meaningfully in conversations pertaining to environmental sustainability.

“As we look back at our environmental footprint, we are encouraged to do more. We started with small steps to reduce our greenhouse emissions by investing in renewables. A more recent example of this is the installation of solar panels on a base station controller in Randburg which cost in the region of R500, 000 and is yielding cost savings of R120, 000 and carbon reductions by over 44 tons of CO2 for the financial year ending March 2020”, said Takalani Netshitenzhe, chief officer of external affairs at Vodacom.

Last year, they acquired a stake in IoT.nxt, a company that specialises in global software development and offers Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for businesses worldwide helping them drive efficiency and competitive advantage through real-time data insights and tools to rapidly implement change.

“Through this acquisition, we have started deploying intelligent controls to base stations enabling remote monitoring and management to reduce energy consumption. Another major achievement would be the Cape Town regional head office receiving a Green Star Existing Building Performance Rating by Green Building Council SA which has yielded massive electricity savings and has immensely reduced our carbon footprint,” added Netshitenzhe.

To create a cleaner future, Vodacom has created a waste hierarchy in decision-making and management which prioritises reusing and recycling of redundant equipment. They recycle batteries, they have introduced paper bags in their stores and they recycle their office waste, some of which is used as manure for gardens.

“Similarly, with the Cape Town water crisis, we have learnt a lot about water saving. We have water harvesting techniques and use this water in our gardens. From the Cape Town learnings, we have started deploying water saving taps in our bathrooms,” Netshitenzhe continued.

Environmental education, awareness and good practices are vital when creating a culture of sustainable living. To create this culture, Vodacom has partnered with schools and other organisations while supporting various initiatives to create a better future for communities and markets in which it operates in.

Vodacom remains mindful of the potential threats to biodiversity and strives to protect the biodiversity within the countries it operates in.

To broaden their knowing, they also have a partnership with World Wildlife Fund for Nature and other environmental agencies such as the Endangered Wildlife Trust in conservation efforts to protect endangered species.