The world we live in isn’t the one we want. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events and ecological collapse are leading governments and businesses to declare a climate emergency. At Arrival we’re committed to doing all we can to be part of the solution.
The data shows us that transportation and manufacturing are among the most significant contributors to global emissions. And in cities all over the globe the effects of air pollution are damaging public health and wellbeing.
The number of people living in cities is growing fast, along with the rise of same day delivery. Carbon emissions and air pollution from commercial vehicles is a major concern. We’re facing a unique challenge: not only do cities need ecosystems of zero-emission vehicles, but those vehicles need to be produced and operated in a far more sustainable way.
Our approach to sustainability
Arrival’s electric vehicles will help reduce transportation emissions, but we want to do much more than that. We’re ready to face the complexity of getting our company to net zero, engaging with issues of resource scarcity and climate injustice. Mindful sustainability means we take a systematic approach to reducing our emissions, making sure there are no unintended consequences, and we don’t just shift the burden.
At the current stage of our pre-production development, we have a rare opportunity to shape decisions on design and operations based on quantitative sustainability metrics. We use data to influence our actions, and will continue to act on the latest understanding as we grow and evolve as a company.
Industry and manufacturing impacts the planet and Arrival is no exception to this, we recognise that. But by leaving behind traditional methods, we’re leveraging the benefits that a blank-sheet approach gives to establish more sustainable practices. Arrival’s new method of design and production creates opportunities for real reductions in environmental impacts, enacting circularity and empowering communities.
Our actions are based around three pillars of sustainability to create a clean, circular and equitable future.
Clean
At present, the transport sector causes 23% of global energy-related CO2 emissions (IPCC, 2018), the majority of which is due to road transport. Fossil fuel powered vehicles are a huge source of airborne particulates and pollutants.
Arrival provides clean and efficient alternatives encouraging a shift towards public transport, reducing congestion and improving the experience of life in a city.
Shifting to electric vehicles means reducing the carbon footprint of transportation and lowering air pollution, while providing the technology that allows others to decarbonise. Reducing emissions in line with climate science means we can lead the global transition to net zero, at the same time as enabling other companies — such as those electrifying entire fleets — to achieve their climate goals.
Circular
In the global transition to electric vehicles, significant resources will be needed to build new hardware. The ‘take, make, waste’ model is broken; continuing with our current linear system isn’t an option. Instead, circularity underpins our designs, vehicle use and the ecosystems they exist within. An example of this is our modular architecture, which enables components to be reused, repaired and remanufactured — meaning vehicles last as long as possible.
We carefully design according to principles of circularity and ensure environmental impact is considered from the start. We use only the materials needed and no more, keeping them in use for as long as possible to maximise resource efficiency and minimise waste. By maximising circularity, we hope to set a precedent in industry and accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
Equitable
The effects of inequality are being felt in communities worldwide. This is now being acknowledged at the highest levels: President Biden plans to spend $20 billion on clean and equitable infrastructure, with 40% of the investments targeting disadvantaged communities.
Arrival’s revolutionary Microfactory production method means our EVs are sold at price parity with petrol and diesel equivalents. By levelling the market and building Arrival Microfactories all over the world, we’re empowering local communities globally, giving them access to clean technologies that can help decarbonise their region and improve air quality.
Arrival Microfactories will further support communities by creating well-paid jobs, using local supply chains, sourcing materials locally wherever possible, and ultimately create solutions and ecosystems that are inclusive and accessible.
Together, these innovations can begin to help in the fight against climate injustice and inequality.
The future of Arrival
As Arrival transitions from its design and development mode into production, we’re excited to put the vision into action. People join Arrival from all walks of life with a shared desire to have a positive impact on the world, and we’re all aligned on the future we want to see.
In this future, we envisage a world where collective action has averted the worst effects of climate change and the countries that would have been disproportionately impacted are thriving with the benefits of clean technologies and the energy transition.
We need to achieve this, and we believe our systematic approach to decreasing emissions, embedding circularity and reducing inequalities is the action required to create a clean, circular and equitable world.
For more information on Arrival’s sustainability vision visit our website.
