Powering the UN World Food Programme's EV transition
4 minute read
For over 60 years, the World Food Programme (WFP) has been providing food assistance
and fighting hunger worldwide. As a UN body, the WFP is the largest organization of its
kind and active in 80 countries. Each year, its global staff works tirelessly to reach all
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. From the beginning, the WFP has assisted in areas affected by drought and other natural disasters and experienced firsthand the dangers of greenhouse gases and their direct impact on crops, food accessibility, and distribution. This is one reason why, to advance sustainable global development and combat rising emissions, the United Nations World Food Programme has joined forces with the Hyundai Motor Company to promote the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in their humanitarian operations.
Vehicles for change
With a global staff of over 22,000 people, the WFP relies on a large fleet of vehicles, most of which have conventional combustion engines. As a first step in a gradual shift away from fossil fuel reliance, we are introducing our EVs into the UN agency's fleet. In all, we are donating eight IONIQ 5 vehicles for use in key operations at six global WFP offices in developing countries. The donated EVs will be deployed to support critical missions and demonstrate their potential to complete missions successfully in international 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 better facilitate the WFP's transition to emission-free mobility, we are not only providing IONIQ 5 vehicles but also donating funds for the development of EV charging infrastructure at the WFP offices where the vehicles are deployed.
By investing in the development of an EV charging infrastructure directly at the source of operations, the WFP can better integrate and operate its vehicles in its daily missions. The combination of providing EVs and the necessary charging network is helping create a complete ecosystem that supports the WFP's transition to more sustainable mobility solutions and reach its carbon neutrality goals. The switch to a climate-friendly fleet and charging infrastructure is part of the 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 the WFP underscores our commitment to becoming a global leader in electric mobility and bringing the technology to wherever it's needed. Together with the WFP, we show that EVs are a reliable and sustainable alternative to conventional motors and can directly contribute to their humanitarian tasks 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 reaching people to enhance their lives.
Moving in the right direction
Our partnership with the World Food Programme (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 the World Food Programme (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.