The Record - Issue 21: Summer 2021

100 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om management through geofencing, dynamic mobility demand and capacity management, and enabling freight asset sharing for improv- ing transportation efficiencies. Well-orchestrated policies will be critical to shape future data-sharing ecosystems, realise shared value for the public and private sectors, and achieve the desired sustainability out- comes. WBCSD TUM’s member companies – with Microsoft in a leading role, in collab- oration with the Sustainable Urban Mobility for All (SuM4All) and the International Road Federation, developed actionable guidance for policy makers to enable data sharing. Additionally, Microsoft and its partners can play an important role in shepherding the industry towards creating new technology solutions and advocating for changes in business practices, poli- cies and regulations that can enable the creation of a trustful, ethical, secure and innovative data-shar- ing ecosystem. Falling cost of batteries, shifting customer pref- erences, and policy changes are accelerating vehi- cle electrification. Automotive original equipment manufacturers are introducing new electric vehi- cle (EV) models to cater to different passenger and freight mobility needs. While at present, the upfront cost of EVs is higher compared to ICEs, further decline in battery costs is expected to help EVs reach price parity by the mid-2020s for all light and medium vehicles. However, EVs are much cheaper to operate because of their lower maintenance costs and higher efficiency. Electrifying business fleets represents a huge opportunity to accelerate EV adoption and cut emissions. A successful fleet electrification pro- gramme will require businesses to rethink their internal processes, including procurement, capital project planning, fiscal budgeting and operations. A reliable charging infrastructure is also essential for accelerating EV adoption. Real estate companies, electric utilities and the transportation sector need to collaborate to identify means to capture the value from such an integrated approach. While electrification eliminates tailpipe emis- sions, nearly half of a vehicle’s life cycle emissions can be attributed to material extraction, compo- nent manufacturing and assembly. Businesses also need to take responsibility for Scope 2 and 3 emissions from automobiles, including during vehicle usage and retirement. As a first step, advanced measurement frameworks, data collection methodologies, and data processing can help map emissions from various processes and identify priority measures. Commuting has a significant impact on con- gestion in cities, leading to wasted time in traf- fic and negatively affecting people’s well-being. Businesses can have a massive impact by making their employees’ transportation more sustainable. Collaboration between businesses and cities can create solutions that benefit all. For example, businesses can commit to tangible actions rang- ing from simple solutions, such as installing bike racks, to more complex ones, such as providing shuttle services for employees, installing charging stations or instituting flexible work from home policies. WBCSD’s Corporate Mobility Pact allows businesses to take leadership toward addressing commuting challenges in cities. This Pact also cre- ates a forum for business and city leaders to ideate other solutions for sustainable mobility. The public sector too will need to play a sub- stantial role in designing accessible and equita- ble cities. Partnerships and strong collaborations across sectors and roles will be critical in driving this change. With transformation at this scale, pace and scope, no individual or entity can go it alone. Businesses that invest in partnerships with like-minded organisations are most likely to succeed in the long run. Aman Chitkara is manager for mobility at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development V I EWPO I NT