Eco-friendly broadband: the top UK providers

Ash Walker • 05 Nov 2024

Great broadband doesn’t have to cost the Earth.

There are lots of things to consider when choosing a broadband provider. Speed and cost are, of course, huge factors. But more and more consumers are factoring a provider’s business practices into their decision - particularly their efforts to be environmentally friendly.

With rising concerns over the ongoing climate crisis, sustainability has become extremely important, but while many providers are stepping up their efforts it can still be difficult to find information.

Read on for our rundown of the top eco-friendly broadband providers in the UK.

Zen

Environmental sustainability isn’t just a priority for Zen - it’s built into the foundations of the business.

They are currently the only major broadband provider that is B Corp certified, meaning that they are legally required to consider the impact of any business decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and, of course, the environment. They also produce an annual impact report, detailing their performance in these key areas.

In terms of emissions, Zen are constantly trying to reduce their carbon footprint, with goals to half their emissions by 2028 and hit true net zero - that’s net zero across their entire supply chain - by 2040.

Earth

Earth Broadband prides itself on helping their customers reduce their carbon footprint, which they aim to achieve by investing in reforestation efforts and clearing plastics from the seas. In fact, Earth plants a tree every month for each one of their customers, with an option to increase that to five trees for an additional monthly fee.

It’s a great scheme, and to date they’ve planted over 20,000 trees since the initiative began. Not bad, considering the company has only been around since 2022. However, it’s worth noting that Earth uses the Openreach network, meaning their overall carbon emissions are tied to that.

Check out our Earth Broadband deals page for the latest offers.

Vodafone

Vodafone also has some aggressive goals in cutting their carbon footprint. They are heavily investing in energy-efficient equipment and electric vehicles, aiming to achieve net zero in their UK operations by 2027 and full net zero across their entire supply chain by 2040.

They also have a number of initiatives aimed at recycling and reusing tech, including extended warranties on refurbished phones, router recycling programs and a partnership with the WWF that ensures a £1 donation for every device traded in.

Check out our Vodafone Home Broadband deals page for the latest offers.

Sky

Sky has a long history of environmental commitment; they achieved carbon neutrality way back in 2006 - the first media company to do so - and their efforts have only continued to grow since then.

They are currently transitioning their entire vehicle fleet to electric vans, with the aim of hitting zero emissions by 2030 and full net zero across their supply chain by 2050. Sky’s efforts also extend to their film and television production arms, with the introduction of eco-friendly operations in their studios and an initiative to produce environmentally-minded programming.

Specifically looking at broadband, Sky excels in its materials. They are one of a very few companies to have successfully eliminated single-use plastics from their packaging, meaning that all routers and TV boxes are shipped in completely recyclable containers.

Check out our Sky Broadband deals page for the latest offers.

BT

BT uses 100% renewable electricity in their efforts worldwide, and are working towards net zero, with the goal of achieving it by 2031. They have already managed to reduce carbon emissions in their own operations by 57% since 2016, and by 19% throughout their supply chain.

They have also garnered a number of sustainability awards and ratings, including six years on the CDP Climate A-List.

Check out our BT Home Broadband deals page for the latest offers.

Virgin Media

Virgin’s network has been powered by 100% renewable energy - where controlled by Virgin - since 2020. They are also making efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, having shrunk it by 55% since 2014, with the aim of achieving full net zero by 2040.

They have also considered sustainability in the design of their latest generation of routers: the Hub 5 is designed to use less energy than previous versions, and has a case made of 100% recycled plastic.

Check out our Virgin Broadband deals page for the latest offers.