Summary
This report from the KLU/CHORD explores the environmental trade-offs of electric vehicles (EVs) vs. internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) in east africa & the middle east, from a lifecycle analysis perspective.
Content
The CHORD Study in Short: Humanitarian organisations increasingly respond to disasters resulting from (or exacerbated by) global warming and environmental degradation. In addition to immediate aid, they also often take part in development programmes to support regions in need over a longer time period. These activities aren’t without consequences, however, and the demand for life-saving humanitarian operations also contributes to climate change and environmental damage. Following the “do no harm” principle, humanitarian actors must take action to mitigate their environmental footprint in both aid and development efforts. In the commercial sector, the share of electric vehicles (EVs) is on the rise as a means to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with transport. Yet, the potential for EVs to reduce the environmental impacts of humanitarian operations goes beyond carbon, and there are many other environmental dynamics at play.
Do EVs have a lower environmental impact than internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs)? Should humanitarian organisations increase the share of EVs used for operations? CHORD addresses this question in the case study described in this report.
This study is also available on the CHORD website here: https://www.help-logistics.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Dateien_HELP/documents/report/CHORD_Report_EVvICEV_20230310.pdf