Uber launched a new feature called Emission Savings that will help riders get an insight into their carbon footprint based on their Uber data.
The feature has been rolled out and can be checked under the Account tab.
Uber Promotes Carbon Footprint Awareness
The Emission Savings feature was developed by Uber to help drivers "embrace a low-emissions lifestyle." According to Uber, carbon emission is responsible for 99% of fossil-fuel-related greenhouse gases.
The ride-hailing company explained that the feature will estimate the tailpipe CO2 emissions from rider pickup to dropoff on completed trips. The company acknowledges that riders are not in control of the driver's off-trip mileage, so on-trip distances are the ones that will be calculated.
"Emission savings are calculated as the difference in CO₂ emitted from low-emission ride options on the Uber app and those of their standard-emission counterparts," the company added.
How Uber Emission Savings Work
Emission Savings will represent the emissions a rider has avoided consuming by opting for a lower-emission ride option or riding a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) like electric cars.
The emissions from Uber Green trips will be compared to UberX trips. Meanwhile, the Uber Comfort Electric emissions will be compared with Uber Comfort emissions. Trips on ZEVs on standard rides will only calculate the average emission efficiency.
The company will also launch the feature for Uber Teen account holders along with the availability of Uber Green and Uber Comfort Electric ride options. Uber is also planning to include statistics on any ride in all-electric vehicles like UberX Share, e-bikes, and e-scooters in the future.
"The calculation of emission savings is based on a rider's trips since the beginning of 2021. If the rider became a user after January 2021, we estimate savings based on their trips since they became a user," Uber announced.
