Powering the UN World Food Programme's EV transition
4 minute read
For over 60 years, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has been providing food assistance and fighting hunger worldwide. WFP is the largest humanitarian organization and has a presence in over 120 countries and territories. Each year, its global team works tirelessly to promote the resilience of the communities they serve and to provide assistance to those suffering from food insecurity caused by conflicts, disasters, and climate change. As a company dedicated to Progress for Humanity, we at Hyundai are inspired by their mission of using food assistance as a pathway to peace and want to be a partner on the way to reaching their goals.
On a mission with less emissions
There are many reasons for global food insecurity, with climate change being a major contributor. WFP continues assisting people in need in areas affected by drought and other natural disasters and together with all humanitarian actors, and has seen firsthand the risks of greenhouse gases and their direct impact on communities, crops, food accessibility, and distribution. This is one reason why, to advance the sustainable development goals and combat rising emissions, WFP has joined forces with the Hyundai Motor Company to foster the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in their humanitarian operations.
Vehicles for change
With over 22,000 staff members, WFP relies on a large fleet of vehicles, As part of WFP’s wider environmental sustainability efforts, Hyundai Motor Company is adding our EVs into the UN agency's fleet portfolio. We are donating eight IONIQ 5 vehicles for use in key operations at WFP offices. The donated EVs will be deployed to demonstrate their potential to sustainably help complete missions in humanitarian operations.
This partnership is proof of Hyundai's leadership in electric
vehicle technology and our unwavering commitment to
making a positive impact for humanity. By providing our
state-of-the-art IONIQ 5 vehicles and supporting them with the
necessary infrastructure, we are proud to contribute to the
United Nations World Food Programme’s critical mission of
addressing global hunger sustainably.
-Jaehoon Chang, CEO of Hyundai Motor Company
Charging stations where they're needed
Even the most modern fleet of EVs is nothing without adequate and easily accessible charging stations. To support WFP's environmental agenda, with a focus area on emission-free mobility, we are not only providing IONIQ 5 vehicles but also donating funds to support the development of low-carbon, EV charging infrastructure at WFP offices where the vehicles are deployed.
By investing in the development of green, EV charging infrastructure at WFP’s field offices, we believe our support will help WFP further integrate electric vehicles in its daily missions. The combination of providing EVs and supporting the implementation of necessary charging network is helping create a complete ecosystem that supports WFP's sustainable mobility and circular economy solutions to play a key role in supporting the agency in reaching its carbon neutrality goals. A climate-friendly fleet and low-carbon charging infrastructure is part of WFP's broader Energy Efficiency Program (EEP), which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing fossil fuel consumption and dependence. Our involvement and continuing contribution will help accelerate this program and showcase the potential of EVs in challenging environments and diverse global contexts.
The World Food Programme's partnership with Hyundai
represents a significant leap towards our sustainability goals.
This collaboration will enhance our operational efficiency while reducing our environmental footprint, allowing us to serve those in need better.
-Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the WFP
EV power to the people
For us, "Progress for Humanity" and mobility go hand in hand. Our partnership with WFP underscores our commitment to becoming a global leader in electric mobility and bringing the technology to wherever it's needed. Together with WFP, we believe that EVs can be a reliable and sustainable alternative to conventional motors and can directly contribute to their humanitarian operations for more social and environmental progress. And because electric mobility is a large and diverse field, there is no end to its possible use in helping reach people in need.
Moving in the right direction
Our partnership with WFP marks our second significant cooperation with a UN body and follows our successful collaboration with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), where we conducted a “crowdsourcing” campaign that gathered intelligence from various global stakeholders to derive and realize solutions for various social challenges. Through these strategic initiatives, we aim to advance and accelerate knowledge transfer and address the critical issues of today and tomorrow. Our ongoing commitment to sustainable progress reflects our broader vision of creating a better future for all humanity.
The official partnership was highlighted with the signing of a Partnership Agreement between Hyundai Motor Company and WFP. The ceremonial event, attended by key representatives from both organizations, lays the groundwork for starting a transformative journey toward sustainable mobility in humanitarian operations.
Follow @hyundai on Instagram to see how we are fostering EV mobility in developing nations.
WFP does not endorse any product or service.