Companies in the UAE work together to use more electric vehicles (EVs). They aim for 50% of all cars in the country to be electric by 2050. This initiative invites more businesses to join and help reduce harmful emissions, by choosing electric vehicles for their fleets. This is the first time when such a strong agreement has been made by businesses in the UAE to show their need for electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles in the UAE
Road2.0 is an initiative supported by the UACA. It is the UAE Alliance for Climate Action managed by Emirates Nature WWF which is a charity focused on the environment. It aims to reduce pollution from commercial transport in the UAE and is backed by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
With support from companies like talabat and Unilever, Road2.0 works with 17 member companies to test and use electric vehicles (EVs) in their fleets. The goal is to cut down emissions from their road transport by 30% by 2030 and to reach 100% by 2040.
This teamwork shows strong leadership from businesses to help the UAE achieve its plan and reach net zero emissions by 2050. The members of Road2.0 come from various industries including logistics, retail, food and sustainability.
The initiative recognizes the progress made towards greener transportation in the UAE and highlights the need for further changes to meet specific needs and goals for using commercial EVs. By the end of this year, Road2.0 members will have added 90 commercial EVs to the roads in the UAE. They aim to buy up to 6,000 Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) by 2030 and possibly increase that number to 20,000 ZEVs by 2040.
They are looking for different types of vehicles such as refrigerated trucks, delivery bikes, light and medium trucks, passenger buses and more to meet demand.
The full list of Road2.0 signatories are as follows:
- Aramex
- Advanced Media Trading
- Arla
- Ehfaaz
- Enviroserve
- Chalhoub Group
- Farnek
- Landmark Group
- Majid Al Futtaim
- Kibsons
- Nestlé
- RNZ Group
- Schneider Electric
- Positive Zero
- Talabat
- Unilever
- Yes Full Circle Solutions
Sharif Al Olama from the UAE Ministry of Energy and Industry said that electric vehicles (EVs) are now ready to be used greater widely in the nation. The demand for electric cars is increasing as there are more charging stations available and lots of business groups choose environmentally pleasant transportation alternatives.
Al Olama cited a mission called “Road2.0” that is supported by way of the UAE Automobile Club Association. He believes that once the authorities and businesses paintings collectively, they could create economic boom, encourage innovation and also deal with social and environmental problems. This initiative is a part of the Ministry’s goal to promote inexperienced transportation with an intention for 50% of all automobiles in the UAE to be electric powered by 2050.
Mohammad Saeed from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment talked about how Road2.0 is important to create a clean future. He stressed that cooperation between public and private sectors is crucial to move towards a low carbon economy. Also, he welcomed support from companies who join this project to help the UAE meet its climate goals.
Al Nuaimi noted that this initiative will help the nation reduce emissions which aligns with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy. This updated plan aims to cut emissions in different sectors like transportation to reduce greenhouse gas levels. The transport sector will significantly help reduce emissions by promoting electric vehicles.
Laila Mostafa Abdullatif from Emirates Nature WWF said that this is a key moment for green transport in the UAE. The companies involved in Road2.0 aim to cut carbon emissions from commercial road transport by 30% by 2030 by aiming to reduce 100% by 2040. They plan to have 90 zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) on the roads by the end of 2024.
Abdullatif encouraged many companies to join this effort and work with vehicle manufacturers, distributors and logistics providers to increase electric vehicle usage.
Ahmed Kadous from Unilever also talked about this initiative. Unilever aims to emit net zero by 2039 and plans to reduce logistics related carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. In 2023, Unilever made a step forward with an introduction of an electric van and a 40 ton electric truck in their logistics. Kadous expressed enthusiasm to expand electric vehicle use via Road2.0.
