ESG ratings:O₂ Telefónica achieves top ratings for its sustainability management

Valentina Daiber, Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs at O₂ Telefónica, says: “Sustainability is a central concern of O₂ Telefónica. We are sticking to this even in politically and macroeconomically turbulent times. Very good ESG ratings confirm that we are one of the telecommunications providers with the best sustainability management worldwide. For us, this is an incentive to continue to further improve ourselves. For investors who pay attention to companies’ performance in the sustainability area, they are important decision-making criteria.” In the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index published today, O₂ Telefónica improves by two percentage points compared to the previous year, achieving an overall score of almost 73 percent. With a "Disclosure Score" of almost 96 percent, the company is particularly convincing with the high transparency of its reporting to promote equal opportunities for women. The focus on inclusion and gender pay equality is also rewarded with almost 81 percent for the aspects "Inclusive Culture" and over 76 percent for "Equal Pay & Gender Pay Parity" respectively. At the end of December, the international Telefónica Group was included in the CDP "A List" for the ninth consecutive year. The non-profit organization's report is considered the gold standard for corporate environmental transparency. Telefónica is one of only 14 telecommunications providers worldwide to make the A-list. The company's measures to reduce CO₂ emissions directly, indirectly through energy purchases and in the supply chain (Scope 1 to 3), as well as its circular economy approach, were the main deciding factors.

In the EcoVadis Sustainability Assessment, O₂ Telefónica scores "very good" / "gold". The assessment evaluates business activities in the areas of environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. With an overall score of 72 out of 100 points, the company is among the top four percent of telecommunications companies assessed by EcoVadis. Sustainalytics awarded O₂ Telefónica the best ESG risk score among all telecommunications service providers in Germany. Globally, the company ranked third out of 223 companies in this category with a score of 12.7. O₂ Telefónica scores particularly well in the areas of product responsibility, human rights and business ethics. With this score, Sustainalytics certifies that the company has a low risk of material financial impact from ESG factors. In addition, O₂ Telefónica received an "AA" ESG ranking from MSCI and a "Prime B- (Good)" from ISS. According to MSCI, the company is a leader in its industry in managing key ESG risks and opportunities. In ISS, the company performs particularly well in the areas of climate protection, data protection, and the sustainable use of telecommunications products.