What We Are Reading
E-scooters, e-bikes, and other forms of micro-mobility have the potential to cut the congestion, emissions, and noise pollution that plague our cities. It also represents a real tangible solution to the first- and last-mile transportation gap.
MRP™ views:
The World Economic Forum, based on a BCG study, makes some observations on the use and adoption of e Scooters and micro-mobility globally. It reconfirms the potential for MM to address FM/LM issues, and debunks the notion that MM is largely used for leisure and fun experimentation. However, the proposition that e Scooter trips switched from PT render e Scooters “at best neutral”. This is an unfortunate conclusion. Based on LCA results prepared by the MRP™, e Scooters have a four times lower GHG emissions profile than buses in Australia and New Zealand. This is due to the fuel used for buses Down Under and the low occupancy on buses. So a conclusion such as this needs to be carefully limited, as it depends on the location where the comparisons are made.
In an industry-first pilot in Rome and Milan, Dott is launching a scheme where bad riders who repeatedly park escooters badly (outside a permitted area or violating the Highway Code) are sent to a driving course.
MRP™ views:
A very timely article on safety and e Scooter rider behaviours. It is clear that the solution will be a combination of technology, collaboration with municipalities and education. MRP™ is currently undertaking collaborative research in a range of aspects together with MRP™ academics and collaborators. Some of the research focusses on specific technology development and implementation, including stakeholder safety and health, as well as cutting edge edutech.
Canada revealed new details about how it's hoping to make the wealthy think twice about contributing to the climate crisis with their extravagant modes of transportation.
MRP™ views:
Excellent move from Canada. Tax rate is a bit on the low side, as I am not sure it will be much of a disincentive to stop unsustainable elite spending behaviours. Wonder which country will be the next to announce a similar sustainability tax. The tax will only be effective if everyone is aligned, as luxury toys like yachts, private planes and rockets will simply be sold in untaxed jurisdictions if we don't watch out.
Never has the need for a public information campaign been so great, not only to educate people about the climate emergency but also to flag what they can do to mitigate its impact, says Bill McGuire
MRP™ views:
At the moment there still appears to be a debate about the need to ask individuals to do their bit on climate change , with some calling this hypocrisy, based on the argument that industry has caused the problems in the first place and should therefore be responsible instead. This article calls out a few historic and memorable examples on the effectiveness individually targeted campaigns in moments of climate crisis. As per our readings on rising global water levels, public education seems to be a bridge too far for local and national governments, not only because there are still plenty of government officials who believe climate change is exaggerated by “snowflakes”. There are simply too many vested interests in the Status Quo who we suspect would be severely worried by the impact public awareness campaigns might have on individual consumption patterns, which would result in a direct financial hit on most of our large consumer oriented companies globally. MRP™ believes the only way to neutralize climate change impacts are by changing both individual consumption/ transportation behaviours, in parallel with more sustainable behaviours in the corporate sector. These two target audiences are not incompatible at all, but symbiotic. In contrast to the lack of public awareness discourse so far, the MRP™ will continue to focus on public education and awareness based on our collaborative research projects and initiatives.
Disney is marketing a $110,000-a-ticket elite package tour that comes with a carbon price tag of 6.2 tonnes of emissions for each guest – 20 times more than a person in a low-income country accounts for in an entire year.
MRP™ views:
This article provides a further example of the impossibility of tackling climate change risks and rising emissions by either focussing on corporates on the one hand, or individual consumers on the other. According to this article, Disney has elected to launch an exclusive VIP tour package which will emit the equivalent of around 10 private cars over their 15 year lifespans. Walt Disney Company notes on its website that it “is committed to protecting the planet, and delivering a positive environmental legacy for future generations”. Disney might well note this in the hope that future generations will be able to still positively visit its facilities for the remainder of the 21st century. Helping its consumers make informed decisions by spelling out their net individual emissions impact may be one useful strategy to achieve that aim. Alternatively, Disney might elect to not launch such extravagantly emitting events in future. If we are to achieve our global target reductions by 2050, our individual decisions at both corporate and personal levels will be the difference between success and failure.