Ride4NetZero: E-Bike Tour to Davos for Sustainability

Four hundred kilometers, four days, one mission: three SAP employees are riding their e-bikes from Walldorf to the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Along the way, they’re meeting SAP customers and partners and discussing sustainability as well as exciting best practice use cases.

For this year’s journey to Davos, SAP executives Christian Boos, head of Sustainability Engagement for New Ventures and Technologies; Stefan Schoepfel, co-head of the Intelligent Enterprise Institute; and Joerg Barten, head of Strategic Service Engagements MEE and EMEA, decided to ride their e-bikes all the way from Walldorf. Inspired by riding e-bikes to the office daily, they wanted to share their experiences with business travel and further pursue the idea of sustainable commuting through their “Ride4NetZero.”

The world of sustainable transportation brings a socio-cultural transformation that goes beyond a sustainable approach; it paves the way to a new reality based on innovation and empathy. The idea of smart cities with integrated transportation systems that allow citizens to travel long distances while considering ecofriendly commuting alternatives is closer than we think. However, until we get there, it is up to us to create awareness of climate protection by acting as pioneers, allies, and game changers in the corporate environment.

E-Bike Tour Promoting Sustainability

The amount of information regarding the impact of carbon emissions on the environment is exponentially increasing and the consequences of climate change are more and more visible. Despite this, unsustainable modes of transportation continue to be used.

Environmental experts agree that digitization, data transparency, and focused action are needed to achieve climate goals. But climate neutrality cannot be achieved single-handedly. The unconventional — even revolutionary — Ride4NetZero is giving people something to think about while taking a stand in favor of climate action.

The World Economic Forum usually takes place during the winter in Switzerland, so while a bike tour under pleasant conditions was not possible previously, this year is different.

Having departed from SAP headquarters in Walldorf on May 18, the participants are riding more than 400 kilometers in four days. The sustainability adventure offers the opportunity to not only exercise, but also to meet customers, partners, and others along the way, exchanging ideas and gaining insights into ongoing sustainability projects — intelligent solutions on green hydrogen as a propulsion technology, EU taxonomy in the context of the EU Green Deal, a solution that helps reduce food waste while massively lowering energy consumption, and more.

In 2020, SAP CEO Christian Klein embraced and championed the cause of “green traveling” by taking on the same journey to Davos via an electric car. Klein’s tour was dedicated to electro-mobility and the infrastructure of charging stations. This year, Boos and Schoepfel plan to broaden the topics of discussion and embrace a full sustainable experience.

Sustainable Change Can Only Succeed Together

At Davos a panel discussion on “New Business Models for a More Sustainable Future” will take place. Participants will include executive members from SAP, customers, and partners, such as Claudio Muruzabal, president of Cloud Success Services at SAP; Judith Wallenstein, managing director and senior partner at BCG; Bettina Petzhold, global head of Marketing at Lufthansa Cargo; and Claudia Malley, president and managing director of Partnerships at the Economist Impact. This discussion will aim to increase awareness for intelligent choices driven by intelligent solutions based on the right insights, built on personal commitment, and that enable collective action to help advance the sustainability agendas of businesses and societies at large.

Are you inspired? Get on the road and discover the world of sustainable travel. Many are already doing it by cycling, using public transport, or car sharing to the office every day. Keep up with Christian and Stefan as well as the SAP4Good Instagram account to learn more about the partners and customers being interviewed. Get insights into exciting projects and sustainability topics as well as detailed updates during the bike tour and more!

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from SAP on 3blmedia.com