Three, Sixty: With Sarah-Marie Rust
This is an extract from Issue 8 of SDG Alpha, my newsletter that casts an Irish lens on the world of Impact Investment, Innovation, and Sustainability. In each issue, I pose three questions on the theme of sustainability to an impact entrepreneur or innovator, to get a better understanding in sixty seconds of how they’re working to achieve the SDG targets. This issue, we’re thrilled to feature Sarah-Marie Rust, CEO and Co-Founder at EVE.
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On a personal level, what impacts of the climate crisis are you most concerned about?
I’m worried about how climate change will further foster inequality. The climate crisis is undeniably a threat to everyone. However, socially and economically disadvantaged groups are facing the greatest risks as they don’t have access to the resources and capacity needed to prepare for and recover from extreme climate events. We can’t undo the damage that has already been done but we have to ensure that those most vulnerable to the results of our actions are protected and supported. While each of us individually can make changes to their behaviour to reduce their carbon footprint, e.g. consuming less animal products, shopping seasonal and locally grown produce, and selecting more sustainable means of transport, companies need to step up and commit to a sustainable strategy as well.
Which of the UN SDGs did you start EVE to address?
We started EVE to empower the transition to electric, sustainable mobility. We are mainly focussed on SDG 13 — Climate Action, supporting companies to electrify their fleets. However, at EVE, we don’t stop there. We know that an electric car can only be as green as the electricity it is consuming. This is why we are actively empowering our customers to charge the EVs as sustainable as possible to ensure their fleet is not only electric but also carbon neutral.
We’ve recently started to see and understand the importance of SDG 17 — Partnership for the Goals. Our aim is to build a sustainable ecosystem, involving the players of the energy and e-mobility sector to foster innovation and sustainability.
How does your business model enable the transition to a low carbon, or more sustainable future?
With our solution, companies can electrify their fleets faster and at lesser cost. Our software constantly optimizes the charging transactions for cost and energy efficiency and empowers our customers to achieve their net zero sustainability goals. With EVE, a fleet’s L2 emissions can be reduced by 36%, without dramatically changing the driver’s charging behaviour, solely based on the fact that they choose better and greener charging options. Companies who have more drastic sustainability goals are able to decrease their fleet’s emissions by over 60%, with EVE’s software being key to helping drivers develop a greener charging profile over time. We want to be that crucial partner that helps companies achieve a new, sustainable way of mobility.
