Can Lyft save face with carbon offsets?

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At the 2018 Oregon APA Conference, I found myself sitting next to a young woman who works as a transportation planner for Lyft. I was excited to talk with someone from the “other side”, a representative from the world of TNCs that many urban planners blame for clogging city streets and polluting our air. When I asked how she responds to criticism regarding the carbon footprint TNCs, she paused and retorted that the “research is mixed”. The conversation promptly came to a close; I felt as though I was in the presence of a climate-change denier.

Perhaps Lyft has found a way out of this hole after all. In April, 2018, Lyft co-founders John Zimmer & Logan Green announced that every Lyft ride will contribute to fighting global climate change. The ride-hailing company plans to offset carbon emissions for every ride around the world, becoming one of the top voluntary purchasers of carbon offsets. It’s an impressive multi-million dollar investment and will likely appeal to environmentally conscious customers. The announcement also presents Lyft as a more respectable alternative to Uber, the company’s biggest competitor. But can we really ride-hail guilt-free knowing that each ride we take is carbon neutral? 



Research would say no. A survey of ride-hailing passengers in Boston revealed that TNC trips are replacing more sustainable modes of transportation. The study found that 42% of passengers would have used public transit and 12% would have walked or biked if ride-hailing services were not available. Perhaps Lyft will succeed in winning the hearts of their climate-concerned customers, but let’s be honest - this is merely a band-aid solution to the most severe problem facing our planet. Carbon offsets Lyft’s carbon offset program should be aligned with investments in electric vehicle technology, bike share programs, and public-private partnerships with transit providers. 


Written by Kate Wihtol
Edited by Santiago Espinosa Wild

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