Uber Aims to Run 100% of Vehicles on Clean Energy by 2040

The global Uber delegation ended its participation in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27), which was held in Sharm El Sheikh, after participating in many events in the blue and green zones.

Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, joined the virtual panel discussion entitled “Public and Private Actions to Reduce Emissions from Road Transport” which aimed to offer solutions to reduce the cost of electric vehicles for drivers, highlighting that Uber is the only company that has committed $800 million in resources to help hundreds of thousands of drivers switch to electric vehicles by the end of 2025. 

It also shared the results of the road to zero emissions, noting that the use of e-vehicles on Uber more than doubled in the first year after the commitment was announced, and that in H1of 2022 electric vehicle drivers on the Uber platform globally avoided using more than 5.7 million gallons of benzene.

Uber began its transformation journey in 2020 when it announced its commitment to becoming a zero-emissions mobility platform by 2040, targeting 100% of rides on its global platform to run in zero-emissions vehicles or through the use of small transportation such as scooters and public transportation .

Christopher Hook, Uber Global Head of Sustainability, in his two panel discussions, “Reducing Emissions from Transportation” and “Early Results on the Road to Help 100% of Drivers Switch to Zero Emissions,” focused on the three most important measures that will lead to reduced emissions.

The first is helping drivers switch to electric cars as quickly as possible, secondly enabling users to choose environmentally friendly products without cars, and finally continuing to work on the annual report on the impact on the climate stemming from Uber's pursuit for improvement.

Adam Gromis, Public Policy Manager, Sustainability & Environmental Impact at Uber, explained that during the past period, Uber has provided many products to provide more opportunities for the industry's transformation to a more sustainable form, such as the Uber Green product, which is the most available product on participatory transportation platforms globally, which in turn enables zero-emissions trips, or low-emissions and available in 3 continents, 18 countries and over 120 cities. 

Also, the company provides Comfort Electric, the premium mobility product for electric vehicles, and Uber Planet, a product in which riders contribute additional fees to support sustainability projects in their country, and purchase carbon credits in every kilometer traveled.

Sustainability has become critical for all countries and is now an important goal for Uber. In the Middle East and Africa, the company has introduced new products to support this goal, starting with the launch of Uber Green in Dubai in October 2017 and in Jordan in 2022, Uber also introduced an electric bike product and Chapchap Share in Kenya. 

Uber has also worked on fruitful partnerships with the Ministry of Public Enterprise Sector to test electric vehicles in Egypt as well as railways in Saudi Arabia. Uber intends to continue these efforts to create a greener environment wherever it operates and increase its positive impact on the road to the Dubai Climate Conference 2023 (COP28).