The increasing importance of sustainability in the automotive industry is demonstrated by current trends like carbon-neutral manufacturing and zero-emissions vehicles. These trends are driven not only by the implementation of stricter emissions regulations or even quotas but also by increased societal awareness of environmental and sustainability issues and a rise in consumer interest in environmentally friendly vehicles. Additionally, many people no longer view cars as a status symbol. For many consumers, sharing is a better option than owning—not just for environmental ones.
The automotive industry in the UAE is already ahead of the game with its examination of EVs, autonomous, and other alternatives. Sustainable practices and alternatives are the future. The UAE has been heavily promoting electric vehicles in the nation by lowering their prices and other fees in line with its goals to lower carbon emissions.
The UAE introduced the Energy Strategy 2050, which is regarded as the nation’s first unified supply-and-demand-driven energy strategy. The strategy aims to save Dh700 billion by 2050 and increase the share of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25% to 50%. It also aims to reduce the carbon footprint of power generation by 70%. Additionally, it aims to improve corporate and individual consumption efficiency by 40%.
The environment benefits from electric vehicles because they don’t emit any pollutants and run on an electric motor. The nation is thought to possess the greatest number of EV charging stations in the entire world. These actions are consistent with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 plan, which aims to make the UAE the first country in the region to have no emissions by that year. Approximately 300 green EV charging stations have been installed in Dubai itself as part of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s EV Green Charger initiative, to help and promote the switch to these vehicles.
The automotive industry has a number of participants who are committed to bringing about long-term change. One of them is Gargash Auto which is the UAE’s first-ever workshop that runs on solar power and is currently located in Al Quoz.
Gargash Auto installed solar panels spanning an area of 865 square meters in the last quarter of 2019 after which they have produced 452 megawatt hours (MWh) of clean energy and replaced over 1054 tonnes of atmospheric CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to the greenhouses gases produced by 232 cars in one year, until today.
By 2025, Gargash Auto aims to have completely carbon-neutral operations. By balancing emissions through solar panels to achieve a net-zero footprint and by completely going paperless in their business operations, they are on track to become carbon neutral.
The general manager of Gargash Auto, Amir Pervaiz, stated, “This proves that it is possible to act ethically for both the company and the environment. Though we have just begun, we are excited to increase our impact as we work towards the more ambitious goal of becoming completely carbon neutral by 2050.
The automotive sector is currently making strides in areas like zero-emission vehicles and carbon-neutral manufacturing, which highlight the growing significance of sustainability. To have a more significant impact on sustainability, businesses in the aftersales automotive sector must also support the manufacturers’ sustainable practices.
