The Great Barrier Reef is a global icon and national treasure with the overwhelming majority of Australians wanting to conserve and protect it. It’s iconic World Heritage status makes its preservation a priority, not only for Australia, but across the globe.

Uber recognises the global importance of protecting the world’s largest living structure and is proud to announce their partnership with Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef. The organisation is committed to engaging the world in the protection and conservation of the Great Barrier Reef and reefs all over the world, using tech, data and a collaborative approach to conservation.

As part of the global launch of scUber, the world’s first rideshare submarine on the Great Barrier Reef, the partnership will see Uber donate $AU100,000 to Citizens, to support their ongoing Reef conservation initiatives. Uber will also donate the equivalent value of every scUber ride to initiatives Citizens is undertaking in an effort to preserve the Reef. The Citizens movement aims to engage people from all over the world in the Reef’s future and inspire them to take action to help protect it.

Regional General Manager of Uber, Australia and New Zealand, Susan Anderson said: “Uber is committed to harnessing the power of technology for good. The power of Uber’s platform is encouraging our network of riders and driver-partners to make conscious behaviour changes in how they move about their cities.”

“Uber’s commitment to reducing private car ownership and encouraging people to move around their cities in more efficient and sustainable ways becomes critical. We know these issues facing cities are not isolated to Australia — they are impacting the world over, and we’re committed to solving them on a global scale.”

“By partnering with Citizens, we can work together to raise awareness about the protection and conservation of this global icon, so that it can be enjoyed by future generations for years to come.”

Andy Ridley, CEO of Citizens added: “To safeguard the Reef and the planet we must change the way we do things, from individual actions to new ways of doing business like the sharing economy. We’re excited to partner with such an innovative brand that shares our vision of using data and tech to mobilise a global community, and inspiring action that will result in a positive impact for the future of the Great Barrier Reef.”

The programs Uber is initially helping to support include:

  • Reef Tracks: While scUber will be exploring different areas of the Great Barrier Reef, the submarine will collect data to support reef research and monitoring. With tracking technology enabled, the sub will be visible in real-time on the Reef Tracks marine life tracker.
  • Great Reef Census: Uber will support the development of a world-first citizen science effort through a financial and resource investment program. The ambition of the Census program is to establish a broad snapshot of the Reef’s status in a way that is credible, scientifically sound and provides valuable insights for its management, while also mobilising the global community to be involved in its ongoing protection. Initially a major pilot project, once tested the Census aims to survey as much of the Reef as possible following the summer of 2020.  
  • Citizens Atlas: This digital hub showcases the innovative research and conservation projects working to safeguard the Reef and the species that call it home. Uber will support the expansion of the Atlas to incorporate reef-saving actions and measure their collective impact, and to grow the Atlas into the most comprehensive guide to what’s happening on the Reef.

Find out more about Uber’s partnership with Citizens and the work they will do together to help conserve the Great Barrier Reef here.

To find out more about scUber, visit scUberQueensland.com.