Sharing
Economy
The sharing economy continues to gain momentum as providers become more sophisticated and the technology underwriting these services becomes more dependable and intuitive for users. And many are now accounting for their environmental impact through a multitude of solutions, including renewable energy credits, partnerships and setting carbon neutrality goals.
Lyft
Take, for example, car sharing app Lyft: as the car riding app continues to add drivers and riders, it has also upped its commitment to reduce and ultimately neutralize its environmental impact. In late 2018, Lyft started a carbon offsets program, and in the first year offset over 1 million metric tons of carbon. Lyft also began a partnership with public transit agencies across the U.S. to achieve 50 percent shared rides by the end of 2020 and launched a bikes and scooters program to promote alternative transit options.
Uber
With the World Economic Forum projecting the sharing economy to increase twenty-fold between 2016 and 2025 – reaching $674 billion – the possibilities of how we can use these services to improve our environment and especially foster better consumer behavior are endless. Car riding apps, for instance, are already incentivizing carpooling and trying to crack the code on congestion and emissions. Uber reports that 20 percent of its trips are carpoolers – over 35 million riders in 2017 alone – helping avoid 82,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.
Airbnb
Airbnb, with its expansive and global network and affordable options, offers a unique way for people to experience the outdoors. As for its hosts, Airbnb reports that 88% of them now incorporate green practices into hosting, such as using green cleaning products, provided recycling or composting, encouraging guests to use public transportation or provided bicycles, or installing solar panels. A 2018 analysis by Cleantech Group found that when guests stay on Airbnb, significantly less energy and water is used, fewer greenhouse gases are emitted and waste is reduced.
