Turo will offset carbon emissions starting Earth Day
We’re thrilled to announce that, starting tomorrow, on Earth Day 2021, Turo will offset an estimated 100% of its global carbon emissions through a partnership with leading carbon offset developer, Bluesource. This commitment will offset emissions based on an estimated total number of miles driven on Turo trips, as well as all emissions from our global office footprint. As the world’s largest peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace and the only one to commit to becoming carbon neutral, we’re proud to pioneer this important next step in making the car sharing industry more sustainable and helping to fight climate change.
Why offset carbon emissions, and why now?
Turo has seen strong organic growth of electric vehicles listed and booked for several years now. We were invigorated by the strong growth back in 2019, and now, even in the throes of a global pandemic, the number of electric vehicles listed on Turo has continued to grow, now representing 6.78% of our vehicle supply, signaling the groundswell of intention around making greener choices.
The cultural and industrial energy around electric vehicle adoption, coupled with our evergreen mission of putting the world’s cars to better use through resource sharing, has inspired a more pointed focus for Turo in 2021. Car travel continues to boom this spring and is widely considered the safest and most relevant form of travel in a post-pandemic world. Taking action to make the Turo marketplace carbon neutral through carbon offsetting is an important step towards making car travel more sustainable, especially as the world hits the road like never before this summer, and in bolstering our ongoing commitment to promoting a positive environmental impact.
How do carbon offsets work?
Purchasing carbon offsets allow companies to reckon with the impact of their carbon footprint by investing in high-quality, verified emission reduction projects. Turo has chosen to invest in a few projects that hit close to home for us and our community.
JB Hunt transportation efficiency project
The JB Hunt Intermodal project reduces the number of semi-trucks on US highways from coast to coast, resulting in lower air emissions, improved highway safety, and less wear and tear on roads and infrastructure. The pioneering project sets an example for logistics companies across the US to prioritize environmental responsibility when moving goods, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transport of each item by 50%.
Kootznoowoo forestry project, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
The Kootznoowoo Project protects 20,159 acres of forest on Prince of Wales Island in Alaska, including approximately 8,000 acres of old-growth forest. The land is home to several wildlife species, as well as 12 fish-bearing streams. The project is owned by the native Haida and Tlingit people and managed in common with the US Forest Service, and, in addition to preserving the woodland ecosystem, the project helps support an education fund for the native community.
Darkwoods agriculture forestry, Creston, British Columbia
The Darkwoods project in British Columbia (the latest Canadian province to join the Turo community) includes 135,400 acres of diverse forests — from temperate rainforests to biologically unique “snow forests” — connected to an existing network of parks and wildlife areas, creating 250,000 acres of protected area for wide-ranging wildlife to roam freely. By maintaining forest CO2 stocks above the regional baseline, Darkwoods provides significant climate impact by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with logging.
What does this mean for the Turo community?
This commitment to environmental action simply means that Turo hosts and guests can rest easy building their businesses or satisfying their wanderlust, knowing that the carbon they create will be offset by our investment in these innovative green projects.
Turo was founded as a creative way to better utilize existing resources, and to this day, peer-to-peer car sharing remains at its core a better, more sustainable way to use assets. As the business has grown and evolved over the years, we’ve been invigorated by the growing ubiquity of EVs and exponential growth in EV adoption, and inspired by the constant innovation of our host community leveraging their cars to create economic opportunities for themselves. Coming off the heels of this most difficult year, we’re happy to emerge with a renewed perspective and focus on our collective responsibility to care for the planet that we’ve longed so deeply to explore.
As the world hits the road once again, we can get behind the wheel feeling lighter, brighter, and full of hope for a greener future.