Vodafone India, one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers, has received the ‘Green Telecom Company of the Year 2012’ Award for its consistent efforts in the implementation of multiple initiatives in its on-going contribution to the socio-economic fabric of the country. As part of its sustainability initiatives, Vodafone India instituted definite mechanisms to measure and report carbon emissions. It resulted in 10{af589cdba9d77786c8c861317dbad60bba1e2ebbf56e2ffab874a1b59fde9ce3} reduction in diesel consumption and thus leading to a tangible outcome of 850,000 tonnes reduction in CO2 in all cell sites owned by the Company in the year 2011-12. This has been further enhanced with a reduction in CO2 emission of 9900 tonnes, as on date this year.
The award was presented to Vishant Vora, Director – Technology, Vodafone India Limited, by Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India at the Telecom Awards that were held in Delhi. This award signifies Vodafone’s green initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions on a per unit of traffic basis by employing hybrid solutions with intelligent controllers, optimizing diesel consumption at all cell sites, deployment of fuel catalysts, tapping solar energy, reducing air conditioner usage, developing energy efficient features and products with technology partners, and ensuring proper disposal of waste.
Expressing his delight on this recognition, Marten Pieters, Managing Director & CEO, Vodafone India said, “At Vodafone India, we understand the need to engage in sustainable practices and to contribute positively towards the environment. We understand that what is good for the society is good for our business as well. We are committed to act responsibly and device innovative business solutions to reduce environmental impacts and deliver products and services that help build a sustainable future. This award is a testimony of the conscious efforts of all Vodafone India employees. Their active involvement helped us achieve real and measurable results, and demonstrate our commitment to making a meaningful difference to the society.”
On accepting the award, Vishant Vora said, “We are proud to be recognized as a company that cares. We have been a significant contributor to some of the green telecom initiatives vis-à-vis energy efficiency, carbon footprint reduction, optimal usage of infrastructure, environmental friendly technology selection and safety of our employees, partners and vendors among others. The benefits that we see today are a reflection of our continued focus on these areas for the past many years”.
All Green initiatives of Vodafone India are managed as part of the Company’s Annual Sustainability Plan. Vodafone’s work on hybrid solutions has been published in the GSMA GPA report of 2010-11 and has been widely accepted by operators and vendors in countries across the world. A network expanse serving over 153 million customers in India implies managing enormous volume of data. Reduction in power consumption without compromising performance and service levels translates into significant fiscal saving.