Grab, Ride-Hailing App Launch Carbon Offset Feature
ENVIRONMENT FEATURE: Tech companies are now under pressure to achieve net-zero carbon footprint, sees Southeast Asian ride-hailing service, Grab, pledge its part to help the environment achieve sustainability.
ENVIRONMENT FEATURE: Tech companies are now under pressure to achieve net-zero carbon footprint, sees Southeast Asian ride-hailing service, Grab, pledge its part to help the environment achieve sustainability.
Include electric vehicle (EV) options for its ride-hailing service, Grab users can now add SGD$0.13 per ride as part of its go green initiative to offset the emitted carbon on their car journey — a minimal amount of an e-hailing service that will go towards reforestation projects.
Dedicating towards projects of reforestation and conservation in Southeast Asia, according to Grab, trees will be planted in GrabForFood Forests located in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam through partner organisations starting next month.
Earlier this year, Grab among other app services companies in Southeast Asia including rival Gojek, has in similar ways pledge to work on green projects to decarbonise its operations as part of the trendy net-zero carbon discussed globally this year.
“The health of our business is intrinsically linked to the welfare of our communities and the protection of our environment […] In order for our business to grow and succeed in the long run, we must work towards building thriving communities where our partners have sustainable income opportunities, while protecting our environment for generations to come.” — Anthony Tan, group chief and co-founder of Grab.
In its most recent electric vehicle programs in collaboration with Hyundai Motor toilored to Grab’s driver and delivery partners, the pilot project will test new EV business models: battery-as-a-service and car-as-a-service leasing arrangements, and EV financing options.
While this joint roadmap is aimed at developing more viable option for demands in mobility and delivery services, the EV programs continues to face resistance in the high vehicle cost and lack of charging locations.
Related news in reducing carbon footprint, private companies are increasingly, coming under strain to decrease their carbon footprint to back goals pledged under the Paris Agreement. This involves all ways to help slash greenhouse gas emissions.
In this race to show participation, climate experts have warned that some companies may participate in claiming carbon free without seriously pledging costly work as part of validating cheap offsets. Several private markets including the Carbon Trade Exchange in London have emerged beginning to trade carbon credits. Contrary to carbon credits, of which give the holder the right to emit carbon, forest to solar power are carbon offsets project that counterbalance the usage of fossil fuels.
Some tech companies are already announced plans to decrease its carbon emitting operations to net zero by 2050. According to Google last year, said it has already achieved its net carbon footprint to zero, whereas Microsoft has plans to reach carbon negative by 2030.
Music Press Asia highlights a Net-Zero project every month, featuring brands and companies that are pledging their efforts for sustainability and reducing carbon footprints. If you have similar projects of interest, please send it to editorial@musicpressasia.com.
