Virgin Media O2 awarded ‘A’ rating for its sustainability supply chain practices and boosts performance as an ethical supplier

Virgin Media O2 has received two prestigious accolades for its efforts in cutting carbon emissions and operating as a responsible company.

It has been awarded an ‘A’ rating from non-profit, CDP, as part of their Supplier Engagement Assessment for the 2024 disclosure cycle.

The company received the top score after demonstrating the robust measures it has in place for working with suppliers, ensuring they align with Virgin Media O2’s commitment to reduce absolute Scope 3 (supply chain) emissions by 90% by the end of 2040.

This includes:

• Working with suppliers to reduce their carbon emissions in-line with Virgin Media O2’s Science Based Targets to help prevent global temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees.
• Setting Virgin Media O2 specific baselines and carbon reduction plans for suppliers that account for the majority of the organisation’s Scope 3 emissions. Together, this activity has resulted in more accurate emissions reporting from third parties, helping Virgin Media O2 to better understand its Scope 3 footprint.
• Cutting emissions from the production and supply of its customer equipment. For example, its WiFi router, the Hub 5’s casing is now made of 100% recycled plastic, reducing the overall embodied carbon by 2.5kg CO2e.
• Hosting webinars to share advice and best practice for implementing decarbonisation strategies.

This activity forms part of Virgin Media O2’s overall goal to achieve net zero emissions across its full value chain by the end of 2040.

Responsible company

Moreover, Virgin Media O2 has received a “Bronze Medal” from sustainability rating organisation, EcoVadis, for its overall sustainability performance.

It means Virgin Media O2 is now amongst the top 35 per cent of all organisations globally.

EcoVadis assessed Virgin Media O2 across four pillars: environment, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement, based on international standards.

The ranking reflects Virgin Media O2’s continued commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices, as part of its ESG strategy, the Better Connections Plan. This includes the company cutting Scope 1 and 2 emissions (products and operations) by 56%, and Scope 3 emissions by 19% – both against its 2020 baseline in 2024.

Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2, said:

“We’re proud our steadfast commitment to minimising our impact on the planet and decarbonising our supply chain. It’s one of the most important priorities for us in our sustainability journey and the most challenging.

“But we are making great progress working with our suppliers to change the way we buy, measure data, and analyse product lifecycle assessments. 

“We remain focused on achieving our net zero carbon emissions goal by the end of 2040, and running our business in a way that protects the planet, while helping our company grow so we can continue to connect communities across the UK.”