Earlier this week, Uber unveiled its plans to combat climate change through four key actions centered around the transition to electric vehicles and the proliferation of sustainable alternative travel options, like e-bikes and e-scooters.
“Instead of going back to business as usual, Uber is taking this moment as an opportunity to reduce our environmental impact. It’s our responsibility as the largest mobility platform in the world to more aggressively tackle the challenge of climate change. We want to do our part to build back better and drive a green recovery in our cities,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
By 2040, Uber has committed to being a completely zero-emission platform, with all trips booked through the app taking place either in zero-emission vehicles, on public transit or using micromobility options.
Additionally, the company has said that all trips taken in U.S., Canadian and European cities will take place in electric vehicles by 2030. The company also plans to meet net-zero emissions from its corporate operations by 2030.
“All told, hitting these goals would put us a decade ahead of Paris Climate Agreement targets,” Khosrowshahi said.
To help achieve these goals, Uber has announced that it will expand and incentivize its Uber Green program, which allows riders to pay $1 extra to travel in a fully electric or hybrid vehicle.
By the end of 2020, Uber Green will be available in 65 cities around the world, and riders who choose Uber Green will earn 3x the Uber Reward points, as opposed to the 2x Uber Reward points riders receive after booking an UberX.
The company is also encouraging its drivers to transition to cleaner cars, with Uber committing over $800 million to help hundreds of thousands of drivers switch to electric vehicles by 2025.
Drivers will also be incentivized to switch to electric vehicles with the opportunity to earn up to an additional $1.50 per trip when driving a zero-emission vehicle.
Uber will also invest in growing its multimodal transportation network in order to discourage personal car usage by expanding its fleet of e-bikes and e-scooters, in addition to partnering with local transit agencies to integrate mass transit systems into the Uber app.
“The world is at a critical juncture, and we all have a role to play. Uber is aiming high. We’ll seek to build the most efficient, decarbonized, and multimodal platform in the world for on-demand mobility. While we’re not the first to set ambitious goals in transitioning to EVs, we intend to be the first to make it happen,” said Khosrowshahi.
“Competing on sustainability is a win for the world, and today we challenge other mobility platforms to transparency, accountability, and more action,” he added.
©2020 Staten Island Advance, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
