Wednesday 9 September 2020

Uber pledges to reach net zero emissions by 2040

Uber has committed to becoming a fully zero-emission platform by 2040 with 100% of rides taking place in green vehicles.

The ridesharing company has also pledged to offer 100% electric rides in the US, Canada, and European cities by 2030.

These goals will be achieved by a series of new measures Uber will introduce in the coming months, including an $800 million (£617m) commitment to helping hundreds of thousands of drivers transition to EVs by 2025.

The firm, which reports in 2019 alone, London drivers completed more than one million journeys in EVs, will incentivise Uber motorists to switch to EVs with an Uber Green service, which is set to help those who choose to drive greener to earn extra money with each trip.

In an announcement, the firm said: "While we’re not the first to set ambitious goals in transitioning to EVs, we intend to be the first to make it happen. Competing on sustainability is a win for the world and today we challenge other mobility platforms to transparency, accountability, and more action.

"This is a start and we expect to be judged against our actions. The ultimate success of our business will rest on our ability to transition our platform to clean energy in partnership with drivers, industry innovators, and governments."

Andrew Steer, President and CEO of World Resources Institute, commented: “Transportation is the fastest-growing source of climate-disrupting pollution and ride-hailing companies, like Uber, can play a vital role in changing course. Uber is demonstrating progress through its first sustainability report and by committing to set an ambitious science-based emissions target."