Net-zero by 2030: Lime becomes first micro-mobility firm to pledge to science-based targets

E-scooter and e-bike giant Lime has set a 2030 net-zero target and said it will develop science-based emissions reductions targets in the coming months.

The company operates in more than 30 countries and the net-zero target will cover the entirety of its global operations and supply chain, including the electricity used to charge its rental bikes and scooters.

Because Lime has stated its commitment to set science-based targets to underpin its net-zero goal to the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), it now has 24 months to develop targets and have them approved. For targets to be validated in line with 1.5C, which Lime is aiming for, they must include commitments to tackle Scope 3 (indirect) emissions.

In the interim, as Lime develops pathways for emissions reductions, it has pledged to become a carbon negative business by 2025. It will need to offset more carbon than it generated to achieve this vision.

The emissions targets form part of a new partnership with WWF centred around promoting low-carbon, zero-carbon and active transport in urban areas after Covid-19 lockdowns.

The partnership will also see Lime and WWF launch communications promoting a new digital tool which tracks air pollution and climate change data, called ‘Travel Better’, and encouraging cities and nations to change their transport systems approaches in line with climate science. Nations including the UK, US, Sweden, Spain and Bulgaria will be among the first in which the new campaigns will launch.

“Today more than 50% of the world’s population lives in cities… and as cities build back post-Covid-19, we need to rethink transport alternatives, tackling air pollution, carbon emissions and congestion, working with policymakers to move from car-centric urban design to more human-centred, low-carbon and active transportation, like walking, cycling and shared micro-mobility,” WWF’s global lead for cities Jennifer Lenhart said.

Scooting towards sustainability

Legal restrictions on e-scooters were lifted in the UK earlier this year and, since then, the Government has ring-fenced a multi-million-pound pot for real-world trials and more than 50 local authorities have applied to host e-scooter pilots which.

Among them are the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA), which is working with Swedish e-scooter rental giant Voi. By law, e-scooter pilots can run for a maximum of 12 months.

Aside from e-scooters, Boris Johnson has confirmed that some £2bn of the UK’s Covid-19 stimulus funding will be spent on walking and cycling. Investment in infrastructure is planned alongside a subsidy scheme for bicycle repairs. Additionally, some GPs will be prescribing active travel. 

Sarah George