Grab today announced a new target to enable 300,000 women and Partners With Disabilities (PWDs) to earn an income through its platform by 2030, aiming to more than double the 2024 figure of 135,000.
This was unveiled in our latest environmental, social, and governance (ESG) report and reflects broader efforts to address barriers to earning opportunities through gig work.
The new goal is supported by features like the Women Passengers Preferred feature, which enhances the likelihood of women drivers being matched with women passengers. As of December 2024, more than half of women driver-partners had activated this preference, leading to a 1.35-fold increase in women-to-women matching.
(Read more: Grab’s new programme aims to bring more women drivers on board)
We also increased the number of active PWDs to 5,140 in 2024, more than doubling the count from 2021. We achieved this milestone a year ahead of our original target set for 2025.
Initiatives such as GrabAccess have been pivotal, with measures like adjusting delivery radius for wheelchair users in Singapore to ensure equitable earning opportunities. In Malaysia, improved in-car communication materials have facilitated better interactions between passengers and deaf driver-partners.
Building an ecosystem for all
This year’s report dives into the impact of Grab’s ecosystem on users, partners, and the wider community. It highlights how interconnected insights and capabilities across the platform support various segments and contribute to economic empowerment in Southeast Asia in a responsible and sustainable manner.
The ESG report also tracked the company’s impact in 2024 across key priority areas:
Creating sustainable earnings opportunities
In 2024, our driver- and merchant-partners earned $12.8 billion on the Grab platform, up 16 per cent year-on-year. Over 99 per cent of driver-partners also met or exceeded the local hourly minimum wage.
Meanwhile, we continue to support the growth of micro, small and medium businesses (MSMEs). Some 600,000 of such businesses were onboarded in 2024. In fact, MSMEs contribute about 67 per cent of the gross merchandise value for GrabFood and GrabMart.
This was in part possible because of the many tech and product levers we pull on our end to drive consumer demand and boost driver and merchant productivity. This includes budget-friendly options such as Saver rides and deliveries.
On the other hand, consumers who are willing to fork out a little more for added convenience can opt for services such as premium rides and priority deliveries.
This year, we also rolled out AI-powered solutions such as ride guidance and the AI Merchant Assistant, designed to help our partners operate more efficiently and intelligently.
Enabling transition to low-emission transport
The shift of our driver-partners to low or zero emission transportation modes is key to our strategy to reduce emissions as we aim for carbon neutrality by 2040.
Grab currently operates the largest EV ride-hailing fleet in Indonesia and Thailand, with over 10,000 EVs in each market. We are working with strategic partners to provide our driver-partners better access to electric vehicles (EVs) through rental and financing options. Simultaneously, we are collaborating with energy providers to enhance charging infrastructure.
In 2024, we achieved a 4.7 per cent reduction in carbon emissions intensity per kilometre in mobility, while deliveries saw a 1.5 per cent reduction. Additionally, 7 per cent of all distances travelled were via low or zero emission modes of transport—such as electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, cyclists, and walkers—up from 6.3 per cent the previous year. Overall, these transportation modes contributed to a reduction of approximately 128,000 tCO2e last year.
Empowering consumer action for beyond value chain impact
We’ve also actively used our platform and technology to educate consumers about climate change and empower them to take action.
Since 2021, we have introduced a Green Programme toggle, allowing consumers to contribute a fractional cost towards carbon credits based on the emissions from their rides or deliveries. These contributions—typically less than US$0.10 per order—are directed towards carbon avoidance and removal projects in Southeast Asia.
They have been channelled towards planting over 600,000 trees in 2024, bringing our total number of trees planted to more than 1.2 million across Southeast Asia since 2021.
Driving financial inclusivity
In Southeast Asia, many gig workers and MSMEs are excluded by traditional financial institutions due to their lack of fixed incomes or credit histories. But we are closing the gap.
By drawing on the extensive data from millions of transactions on our platform, we’re able to assess the creditworthiness of our partners and extend loans to underserved groups.
In 2024, loan disbursals rose 46 per cent year-on-year to $2.2 billion; 1 in 3 active driver-partners took up a loan with us and all driver-partners on the platform were provided with insurance coverage for work-related accidents.
Enhancing platform safety
We’ve never stopped raising the bar on safety across Southeast Asia. Our rides are more than four times safer than Singapore’s Land Transport Authority’s Quality of Service benchmark.
While 99.9 percent of our rides are incident-free, we recognise the importance of preventing them, no matter how rarely they occur.
Features like AudioProtect were developed with a primary focus on enhancing safety. By end-2024, the number of rides utilising AudioProtect grew by 2.4 times compared to January 2024. Additionally, there was a 24.5 per cent decrease in reported in-person safety incidents.
As we progress, Grab is dedicated to harnessing technology and strategic collaborations to enhance accessibility, inclusivity, and environmental stewardship, ensuring our growth is responsible and impactful.