New means of transport are gaining
city streets to make them more sustainable
A concern for the environment (or the Covid-19 pandemic) made many people stop to rethink their way of getting around the city — and perhaps swap the car and bus for bicycles and scooters, for example.
These are three examples of non-polluting modes, that is, means of transport (for individual or shared use) that do not emit polluting gases that worsen the greenhouse effect and, consequently, the global warming.
Read also: 4 practices to combat the intensification of the greenhouse effect
In addition to bicycles and scooters, electric vehicles and unicycles are other examples of non-polluting modes which, in addition to being sustainable, help reduce traffic, as they are transportation options micromobility – an important point for thinking about the future of cities.
This discussion about non-polluting modes is important in Brazil because the country appears in fourth place in the ranking of the largest emitters of polluting gases in the world, according to a report carried out by Think Thank International Carbon Brief. The survey takes into account emissions that result from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.
According to the SEEG (Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimation System), from the Climate Observatory, Brazilian greenhouse gas emissions grew by 9.5% in 2020, while worldwide they fell by almost 7% due to the pandemic. Furthermore, Brazil is in 12th position in the Global Carbon Atlas pollution ranking, in which China, the United States and India occupy the top three places.
More sustainable cities
This topic is also on the radar of FAO, the United Nations agency for Food and Agriculture, which released a list of 17 actions to put into practice and promote sustainability for this year. The initiatives are based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with which the iFood is committed to being a signatory to the UN Global Compact.
Defending sustainable cities is one of the SDGs — and one of the priorities of the iFood Regenera program. In addition to buy carbon credits to offset emissions of its deliveries, iFood invests in non-polluting modes. Among them are the new electric motorcycles for exclusive use by delivery partners; electric bicycles, which are part of the iFood Pedal, The biggest action in the field of electric bicycles for delivery in Latin America; you drones, which since January 2022 received authorization to operate in delivery across the country; and the ADA robot, an autonomous vehicle that acts as a reinforcement in delivery.
4 benefits of non-polluting modes
1 – More well-being
Those who use non-polluting modes, such as bicycles and scooters, start to practice more physical exercise, and thus obtain gains in well-being and physical and mental health.
2 – Incentive to the local economy
As these modes are ideal for the movement of people on short journeys in cities and neighborhoods, their use encourages the movement of the local economy and the appreciation of small businesses.
3 – Reduction of time in traffic
Unlike the common car, non-polluting modes allow users to move more freely in city traffic and can even reach their destinations in less time.
4 – Economy
As they do not require fossil fuels, non-polluting modes are much more economical. Furthermore, its maintenance is simple and less expensive than that of a normal car.
