Virgin Media O2 to help 500,000 low-income households stay connected as part of new ESG strategy

• Virgin Media O2 unveils new ESG strategy, the Responsible Business Plan.
• The new strategy follows the full lifecycle of its business – from how it operates its network, to the products and services it sells, and extending the life of technology.
• This includes ambitious targets to minimise its impact on the planet and achieve net zero, support customers to navigate the online world safely and with confidence, and to give tech a second life.
• It comes as Virgin Media O2 marks the achievements of its 2022-2025 ESG strategy, the Better Connections Plan, which has cut carbon, tackled digital exclusion and driven tech reuse, recycling and refurbishment.

Virgin Media O2 is pledging to help 500,000 low-income households stay connected as part of its new ESG strategy, the Responsible Business Plan.

Through the new strategy, the operator is embedding ESG into every aspect of the business, taking greater ownership over the full lifecycle of its operations – from how its network is built and run, to the impact its products and services have on people’s lives.

This includes reducing its environmental impact, making connectivity accessible, supporting customers to navigate the digital world safely, and keeping technology in use for longer.

It comes as Virgin Media O2 also marks the achievements of its 2022-2025 ESG strategy, the Better Connections Plan. The strategy has played a pivotal role in tackling digital exclusion, supporting people to recycle, reuse and buy refurbished devices, and has helped Virgin Media O2 make significant progress on its journey to achieve net zero carbon emissions by the end of 2040.

Responsible Business Built In

Virgin Media O2’s new Responsible Business Plan has four key focus areas: Climate, Connection, Control, and Circularity. 

Backed by ambitious targets, each area is designed to drive the greatest impact – from cutting carbon, to using its products, services, and pioneering programmes to transform lives.

Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2, said: 

“Our Responsible Business Plan is more than a strategy – it’s how we do business.

“It’s built into every decision we make, how we treat our customers and employees, and the products and services we provide to people across the country.

“Whether it’s cutting carbon and working towards net zero, helping even more low-income households stay connected, or giving technology a second life – Virgin Media O2 is committed to being a trusted business and a force for good in people’s lives.”

1. Climate – reducing the impact of our network 

Virgin Media O2 will continue its journey to achieve net zero carbon emissions by the end of 2040 across its operations, products, and supply chain.

• This includes supporting the UK’s energy transition by sourcing 100% carbon-free energy from UK sources and driving energy efficiency across its operations.
• It will build and operate more climate-resilient broadband and mobile networks. 

2. Connection – making connectivity accessible to all 

Virgin Media O2 will build on its industry-leading work to tackle digital exclusion by supporting 500,000 low-income households with connectivity that meets their critical needs by 2030. 

• This will be underpinned by Virgin Media O2’s ongoing measures to help people experiencing hardship stay connected.
• This includes:
  • Its broadband and mobile low-cost tariffs which are available for people who receive government support payments.
  • Its partnerships with charities Good Things Foundation and Hubbub to help more people in need get online.
• This is delivered through:
  • The National Databank initiative with Good Things Foundation, which provides free O2 mobile data via digital inclusion hubs and O2 stores across the country.
  • The Community Calling programme with Hubbub, which rehomes devices via community groups and charities across the UK with people who need them. The devices are being sourced from Virgin Media O2’s customer returns and its O2 Recycle service, which is helping to give unwanted tech a second life. 

3. Control – digital confidence grounded in wellbeing 

Virgin Media O2 will support six million people to navigate the online world with confidence by 2030.

• It will continue to support families to stay safe online, offering a range of tools and controls, plus advice and tips via its co-founded support for Internet Matters.
• The operator will also double down on its commitment to fraud and scam prevention, helping keep customers safe from cybercrime. It will continue to invest in cutting-edge tools, such as its AI-assisted service, Call Defence, and Brand ID, to flag suspicious calls and block fraudulent messages. It will also continue collaborating with cross-sector partners through initiatives like Stop Scams UK.
• Additionally, Virgin Media O2 will help to prevent risk for its customers through proactive and intelligent security measures, strong data protection and privacy policies, and responsible AI use.

In the coming weeks, Virgin Media O2 will also announce a dedicated digital wellbeing strategy, backed by a series of measures to address compulsive online behaviours and associated harms, helping people to have greater control of their time online.

4. Circularity – extending the life of technology 

Virgin Media O2 will continue to drive the UK’s circular economy, underpinned by an ethos that ‘every device should live twice’, where tech, such as smartphones, tablets or consoles, can be given a second life and repaired, recycled, or refurbished and sold as ‘like new’ products.

This is backed by two targets:

• Double the number of people buying refurbished devices from Virgin Media O2 by 2030.
• Double the number of people recycling unwanted devices via O2 Recycle by 2030.

The company will build on its partnership with Coventry City Council by championing a device reuse culture in 30 cities by 2030, supporting programmes and initiatives to keep tech in use for longer. This means devices will be reused locally and passed to people who need them, creating social value and preventing electronic waste.

The Responsible Business Plan is also underpinned by Virgin Media O2’s commitment to become a more inclusive and equitable employer.

The Better Connections Plan – 2022-2025

Since 2022, Virgin Media O2’s Better Connections Plan has helped communities across the UK with greater access to mobile data, devices, and its networks; significantly reduced the company’s carbon emissions; and prevented e-waste through a series of innovative programmes.

This includes:

Cutting carbon and waste 

• Reducing Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 16% in 2025 and 63% in total against its 2020 baseline.
• Tripled its goal to prevent 20 million tonnes of carbon emissions entering Earth’s atmosphere with 61.8 million tonnes of carbon avoided in total.
• Removing single-use plastic from all its own-branded customer packaging. 

Driving the circular economy

• Encouraged more than 12 million consumers to carry out ‘circular actions’, such as recycling or buying refurbished devices – well ahead of its 10 million goal.
• Its O2 Recycle service has now recycled more than four million devices and paid out more than £356 million to consumers since 2009, with zero parts going to landfill.
• More than 7.5 million items of customer equipment have been repaired, reused and recycled.

Closing the digital divide

• Virgin Media O2 achieved its goal to support one million people experiencing hardship to get online via a range of programmes and partnerships, providing 8.5 million people with digital skills training and online safety advice – exceeding its six million goal.

This includes:

• Expanding 4G mobile services as part of the Shared Rural Network to connect more people in rural areas so they are digitally included.
• Offering broadband and mobile social tariffs for people who receive government support payments.
• Establishing the National Databank in partnership with Good Things Foundation. More than 500,000 people have been connected through the initiative.
• Its Community Calling programme with Hubbub, which has also rehomed more than 32,000 devices, and the Tech Lending Community scheme, which loaned tablets to people experiencing homelessness and survivors of domestic abuse.
• Pledging to donate 12,000 refurbished phones to people who need them during 2026, matching its 2025 commitment.