Foreword to the Impact Report

Moving forward digitally together

Moving forward digitally together – as people, as an organisation and as a society. For me, that is how I would sum up VodafoneZiggo’s role in a few words. And that is a role we are fulfilling with pride, confidence and ambition. Part of this also means being mindful of our impact on society and therefore also of the technological and social sustainability of our business processes and our chain. In that regard, our company is more transparent than ever before. We believe this is essential in order to ensure a good dialogue and trust with the world around us. 

RESILIENCE IN DEMANDING TIMES

As the ‘second year of the corona pandemic, 2021 once again placed heavy demands on our networks and on the resilience of our organisation. In the Netherlands, homeworking was embraced, many hours were spent receiving education online and people increasingly went in search of relaxation on their mobile devices. Fortunately, our networks were able to cope well with those changes. People in the Netherlands were able to rely on what is one of the world’s best infrastructures, as a result of which our society and our economy were able to remain intact as much as possible.   

In demanding times, we certainly enjoy thinking in terms of digital solutions. Under our ‘Instant Network’ programme, for example, we make equipment and people available who are able to build a temporary mobile network in disaster zones, as we are currently doing in the areas bordering Ukraine. And last year, we kept the Dutch province of Limburg connected during the floods. 

SMARTER AND MORE SECURE THAN EVER BEFORE

We are convinced that technological innovations can help the world move forward. Right now, we are in the middle of a transition to the next generation of mobile internet. To be precise: 5G. A technology from which we expect exciting developments. From smart cities to increased security, better healthcare and the industry of the future. In order to stay at the forefront of those developments – and to make them available to our customers – we are collaborating with our partners on the innovations of tomorrow.   

The more our lives take place online, the more important privacy and data security will become. The integrity and security of our systems and networks therefore form a high priority and one of the ways we are addressing this is by implementing robust measures in the area of e-mail security. 

AT THE HEART OF SOCIETY

As a company employing more than 7,000 people, we are an essential part of Dutch society. We would therefore like to make a contribution to resolving the major issues that are affecting society – hand in hand with a wide variety of partners. The digital skills of many Dutch citizens, which are lagging behind, are a major challenge. Thanks to our educational programmes which are provided free of charge, we are learning, both young and old, how to participate in the digital world safely, skilfully and consciously.  

We would also like to see that society reflected in our workplace. We believe it is important for our employees to be able to be themselves, to enjoy their work and to be able to make headway. We like to think in terms of possibilities, not limitations, which is why we support the deployment of people who find it more difficult to find a job, and we are working on ensuring equal opportunities for all. 

TRANSPARENCY ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY

Based on our People Planet Progress strategy, we are working on long-lasting improvements to our entire organisation, operation and chain. A holistic approach, therefore, and that is bearing fruit. In 2021, we successfully achieved 20% of our target to help two million people move ahead using our technology in the period from 2020 to 2025. We also reduced our environmental impact by 27% compared to 2018.   

We are fully aware of the fact that we are emitting CO₂, using natural resources and producing waste. Whilst that is something we are unable to prevent, we are nevertheless determined to reduce our impact on the environment further each year. By 2025, we even intend to halve our impact in terms of CO₂ emissions. In order to achieve that, we are taking a whole host of energy-saving measures. These include using energy-efficient equipment and smarter cooling systems, purchasing 100% green electricity and using sustainable vehicles.  

I began this foreword with transparency, a word which hopefully will come to the fore clearly when you read through this Impact Report. This year, we have once again put together our report in accordance with the international reporting guidelines the GRI Standards. These help us to make sure that we provide a clear insight into our achievements and results in the field of sustainability. I am proud to provide you with this insights, and I hope you enjoy reading this report. 

Jeroen Hoencamp
Chief Executive Officer, VodafoneZiggo