How Has Lime Achieved 90% Shipping Decarbonisation?
Lime is the world’s largest operator of shared electric vehicles, including bikes and scooters, supporting sustainable urban transport in more than 200 cities across nearly 30 countries around the world.
In June 2024 the company piloted HVO100, a renewable fuel made 100% from waste and residue oils, for drayage trucking operations.
By August 2024, the company implemented HVO100 for 100% of its operations in the EMEA region.
This has supported Lime to reduce its logistics emissions nearly 90%, with 7,100kg of CO₂ saved.
“Decarbonising our logistics is a critical part of our mission and aggressive roadmap to net zero,” says Andrew Savage, VP for Sustainability at Lime.
“With this new initiative in Rotterdam, between Europe and North America, Lime’s freight moves from port to hub using an average of 95% less carbon.”
“While our goal is to utilise zero emissions vehicles for our logistics globally, we know we’ll need to work with providers and the industry to mature to meet this growing demand.”
How Lime achieved logistics decarbonisation
The company’s partnership with Hight Logistics in the USA uses electric trucks to haul its vehicles and parts to its logistics hub in California, representing 100% of its North American shipments.
Use of HVO100 by its distribution agents Albas and NeeleVat in Europe saves around 89% of CO₂ emissions compared to diesel.
In 2023, 11% of Lime’s emissions came from upstream transportation, and the company aims to bring this to zero.
All of Lime’s port trucking between North America and Rotterdam are now made up of low carbon transport.
Lime’s sustainability ambitions
Transportation is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, and Lime aims to address this through providing urban micromobility solutions.
A trip using Lime vehicles uses 75% less carbon than a comparable car journey and all of its vehicles are powered by renewable energy.
The company aims to reduce its Scopes 1 and 2 emissions 90% by 2030 from a 2019 base year and reduce Scope 3 emissions by 97% per rider kilometre by 2030.
Its emissions targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative and it aims to achieve net zero by 2030.
In 2024, the company achieved a 59.5% carbon intensity reduction from its 2019 baseline.
Wayne Ting, CEO at Lime, says: “We still have a lot of work ahead but it's a great start.
“We won’t stop until we accomplish our mission of building a carbon free transportation future.”
Lime is also committed to workplace equality and diversity, including in its suppliers.
The Mission Possible Partnership
Alongside these improvements, Lime hopes to improve its shipping sustainability with the Mission Possible Partnership.
This is a commitment to zero-emission international shipping and commits the company to shipping 10% of its goods internationally on ships using zero emission fuels by 2030.
By 2040, it aims to raise this to 100% of shipments.
The Mission Possible Partnership is an independent organisation and was launched at the Davos Agenda in 2020 by four core partners.
These partners are the World Economic Forum, the Energy Transitions Commission, the Rocky Mountain Institute and the We Mean Business Coalition with advice and guidance from the International Energy Agency.
It is supported by strategic partner the Bezos Earth Fund and received initial funding from Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Explore the latest edition of Sustainability Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Sustainability LIVE.
Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.
Sustainability Magazine is a BizClik brand
