Undeterred by the current economic crisis, Mr Butterworth believes this ambtitious target is achievable by getting employees of the firm engaged in energy, transport and waste initiatives.

“A large part of our commitment will encompass our three most important assets – our employees, our supply chain and our customer base,” he told Business and Leadership.

“We have the ability to bring about positive change and encourage others to become ‘greener’.

“Despite challenging economic times…a robust environmental strategy will provide strong benefits for all of our stakeholders and, more importantly, will allow us to play our part in combating the challenge that climate change presents.”

Environmental proposals are discussed every two weeks among appointed teams within the company.

In 2007, Vodafone Ireland reported a reduction in energy consumption equal to 581 tonnes of CO2, knocking a hefty Euro 100,000 off its energy costs.

Last year, the business reduced its gas and electricity usage by a further 8%.

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe