UAE Corporates Commit To Electric Vehicle Ecosystem Adoption

Corporate participants in the 'Road2.0 powered by UACA' initiative have declared their commitment to adopting zero-emission vehicles in the UAE. This declaration highlights the strong corporate demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and calls on stakeholders to accelerate EV adoption in commercial fleets. Road2.0, led by the UAE Alliance for Climate Action (UACA), is a key initiative endorsed by both the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

The initiative, supported by talabat and Unilever, involves 17 signatories aiming to test and expand commercial EVs within their fleets. Their goal is to achieve 30% decarbonisation of road transport fleets by 2030, reaching 100% by 2040. This effort aligns with the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and Demand Side Management Programme.

Road2.0 signatories span various sectors, including logistics, retail, food and beverage, groceries, consumer goods, and sustainability. The declaration acknowledges progress towards green mobility in the UAE while outlining further shifts needed to meet operational needs and EV targets. By year-end, Road2.0 signatories will have deployed 90 commercial EVs on UAE roads.

Collectively, they plan to acquire up to 6,000 Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) by 2030, potentially increasing to 20,000 ZEVs by 2040. These vehicles will include refrigerated units, two-wheelers, light-medium duty trucks, passenger buses, and more. Current Road2.0 signatories include Advanced Media Trading, Aramex, Arla, Chalhoub Group, Ehfaaz, Enviroserve, Farnek, Kibsons, Landmark Group, Majid Al Futtaim, Nestlé, Positive Zero, RNZ Group, Schneider Electric, talabat, Unilever and Yes Full Circle Solutions.

Sharif Al Olama from MoEI stated that electric vehicles are ready for large-scale implementation in the UAE due to rapid infrastructure development and increased adoption of low-carbon transport solutions. He emphasised that synchronised efforts between government and business can drive economic growth while addressing environmental challenges.

Mohammad Saeed Al Nuaimi from MOCCAE highlighted that Road2.0 represents a significant step towards a greener future through collaboration between public and private sectors. He welcomed corporate partners joining this initiative as part of the UAE's climate efforts.

Laila Mostafa Abdullatif from Emirates Nature-WWF noted that Road2.0 offers a unique opportunity to accelerate market-wide transition to zero-emission vehicles in the UAE. She invited more companies to join this pledge while working closely with partners across the EV ecosystem.

Ahmed Kadous from Unilever shared their commitment to achieving net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2039 with a focus on reducing logistics carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 compared against their 2020 baseline. In 2023 they became pioneers in adding an electric van along with a 40T electric truck into their logistics fleet within UAE.

This initiative marks another step towards reducing emissions across all domestic sectors as outlined in last year's Third Update of Second NDC for UAE which reinforced commitments towards lowering net GHG emissions including those from transport sector through large-scale adoption of EVs contributing significantly towards emission reduction goals set forth under Net Zero Strategy for year2050

With inputs from WAM