Technologies

How Uber Plans to Slash the Carbon Footprint of Your Food Deliveries and Rides

Cleaner rides, greener eats, a happier planet.

Your Friday post-work Uber Eats order is going to get a whole lot greener – and we don’t necessarily mean in the healthy food sense. Uber on Thursday announced a slew of product updates, all designed to help the company meet its climate commitments while helping Uber users make more planet-friendly choices.

The convenience and fun of ordering food through a delivery app make Uber Eats and its competitors an attractive proposition for those nights you fancy something different for dinner, or just don’t have the energy to cook. But those deliveries have an environmental cost. The carbon footprint of households that spend £50 (roughly $63) per week on food delivery services is 450% higher on average than those that don’t, according to research from CNET’s sister site USwitch in 2021.

Now Uber is committing to slashing the carbon emissions of those deliveries, so you can keep enjoying your takeout without putting pressure on the climate. The company promises that, by 2040, 100% of couriers will use zero-emissions vehicles and that, by 2030, 100% of restaurants on its app will use sustainable packaging. Bringing in this change will be a major challenge, said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at Uber’s sustainability event in London, but one the company hopes other services and restaurants will join in with.

Uber Green Packaging filter on an phone screen — Uber Eats’ new filter.

Uber

«Tackling plastics and waste is a whole new ballgame for us,» he said. «We’re the first global delivery platform to set this kind of goal to go green, but we certainly should not be the last.»

Recognizing that the cost of sustainable packaging can still be prohibitively expensive for restaurants, the company is also partnering with the World Wildlife Fund, among others, to research how it can work with restaurants to make green packaging options more affordable.

To make it easier for you to do your part, Uber will provide a new option in the Uber Eats app that will allow you to filter restaurants by those that offer green packaging options – whether that be recyclable, reusable or compostable.

Greener rides

As a company that relies heavily on car use, Uber acknowledges it’s only right that it set ambitious sustainability goals for itself. With the impacts of human-caused climate change being felt all over the world in the form of wildfires, droughts and extreme weather events, the company is committed to switching its fleet to electric vehicles in order to reduce the amount of carbon its service pumps out.

More than 60,000 Uber drivers were in electric vehicles as of last month, said Khosrowshahi – three times as many as a year ago. The company wants all of its drivers to make the transition to EVs, but this is another huge challenge for Uber, given that many drivers find the cost of electric cars prohibitively expensive.

Protestor holding "stop Uber greed" sign — Some drivers want Uber to pay for EVs.

Katie Collins/CNET

Protestor holding — Some drivers want Uber to pay for EVs.

Katie Collins/CNET

Outside of the London event on Thursday, a small group of Uber drivers, numbering fewer than 10, were protesting the company’s «greed» and its policies, which they claimed center profits over driver income. If Uber wants drivers to buy electric vehicles, it should shoulder the costs itself, said Abdurzak Hadi, who has been driving for Uber since 2014.

«If I have to pay for it, the fares should rise up,» he said. «There’s inflation in the country and everything has gone up, but our fares have gone down.»

On stage, Khosrowshahi addressed the difficulties around switching to electric vehicles. «EVs are still too expensive, charging is still too confusing,» he said. «What we need to accomplish is to make it absolutely effortless.»

Uber says it’s expanding partnerships designed to bring down those costs for drivers, as well as educating them on the total cost efficiency through a hub on the driver app. It’s also providing drivers with a suite of new tools to help ensure charging is as efficient and convenient as possible for them.

Best Electric Cars and EVs for 2023

On the rider side, Uber is making it easier for you to understand and reduce your environmental impact. Starting this week you’ll be notified when you’re on an eco-friendly route, and from later this year you’ll be able to see in your Uber app any carbon emissions savings you’ve made by using the Uber Green service to travel in an electric vehicle.

The company has just expanded Uber X Share to 18 new cities and has rebranded Car Next Door, an Australian car-sharing platform it owns, as Uber Car Share, with an imminent North America launch planned for Boston and Toronto.

Uber Green Curb Access screenshot — Coming to an airport near you soon.

Uber

In recognition of the fact that around 15% of all Uber rides are trips to and from an airport (making them longer than the average Uber ride, with higher emissions), the company also plans to incentivize you to pick Uber Green over Uber X with a number of perks. These include lower fares and exclusive access to curbside pickup zones and other preferred areas. In some locations, drivers on these routes will also have access to discounted or free fast chargers to juice up their electric vehicles.

Initially, Uber’s airport partners will include Portland (PDX), Phoenix (PHX), London Heathrow (LHR) and Madrid (MAD), although it eventually hopes that green perks will be available at all airports it provides rides to and from.

Uber is also hoping its policies will feed into the electric vehicle revolution more broadly, said Khosrowshahi. The company is responsible for providing many people with their first experience of riding in an EV, he said. «And the first time that you try electric, you become much more likely to try an electric vehicle in your personal life, whether it’s buying an electric vehicle, or electing to use Uber Green whenever you use the service.»

Technologies

China Cracks Down: Fake Experts Banned From Social Media

China is going all-in with strict social media policies surrounding educational topics.

Misinformation is tough to decipher in this day and age of social media. Over in China, the internet regulator has announced that it is further enforcing laws prohibiting social-media influencers from sharing advice on finance, medicine, law and education on social media unless they have the professional credentials to back up their content.

China’s social media platforms, such as Bilibili, Doyin (China’s TikTok) and Weibo, must follow the new regulations set down by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Saturday.

Creators will have to share studies to support their information and reveal whether they used AI to generate any of their content.

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CAC is also banning advertising for supplements and medical services, and similar posts that pose as educational content to sell a product. Prior to this regulation, China declared a two-month campaign to eliminate pessimistic, hostile or violent content.

China has been criticized for its attempt to control online content and public opinion. But it wouldn’t be the first country to enforce laws surrounding social media policies.

Spain implemented its own influencer law in 2024, which required influencers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok earning over 300,000 euro to be transparent about partnerships with brands and sponsorships. Influencers must also adhere to copyright laws and restrictions on targeting of minors with content related to tobacco, alcohol and medications.

A study conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization found that only 36.9% of influencers verify that the content that they share is true before posting.

That’s especially troubling since a 2025 Pew Research Center report found that one in five young American adults receives their news through TikTok.

A representative for UNESCO didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 30, #402

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 30, No. 402.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. I guess I don’t know my pitches very well. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Join our group.

Green group hint: Get away from me!

Blue group hint: Throw it over the plate.

Purple group hint: Like Nicholas.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Ways to add someone to a team.

Green group: Lose a would-be tackler.

Blue group: Softball pitches, with -ball.

Purple group: Nick ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is ways to add someone to a team. The four answers are draft, free agency, trade and waivers.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is lose a would-be tackler. The four answers are break, shake, shed and slip.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is softball pitches, with -ball. The four answers are curve, drop, fast and rise.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Nick ____. The four answers are Chubb, Mangold, Nurse and Sirianni.

Technologies

How to Redeem Every Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mystery Gift Code and Reward

Prepare for your city-spanning Pokemon adventure with some extra goodies. These free mystery gift codes and rewards are available for you to grab today.

After 12 years, it’s finally time for Pokemon players to head back to the Kalos region in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the newest game in the popular monster-catching franchise. If you’ve missed the worldwide capital of Mega Pokemon, fairy-type Pokemon and a whole bunch of baked bread, now’s the time to jump back into the world of pocket monsters.

The Switch 2’s first Pokemon game seems a bit scarier this time around. Though the beautiful Lumiose City projects safety and security, recent unexplained rampages from wild Mega Pokemon threaten the peace.

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Between unearthing the cause of this phenomenon and taking down competitors in the Z-A Royale Pokemon battle ladder, there’s a lot of work to do in the Kalos region. You’ll need special partners to get the job done — and there are some special Mystery Gifts that have just the powerful pals you’re looking for.

Even though Pokemon Legends: Z-A is still a fairly new game, there are already three Mystery Gift codes you can redeem right now. These will unlock a rare Pokemon and tons of items that will help you prepare for competitive mode, which is especially important if you want to unlock limited-time Mega Stones that are walled behind ranked player-versus-player battling.

All active Mystery Gifts for Pokemon Legends: Z-A

While some Pokemon Legends: Z-A promo codes are uniquely tied to Nintendo purchases, we’ve gathered every free code and redemption requirement in one place for you here.

Below is a chart that contains every active Mystery Gift code for Pokemon Legends: Z-A, what it unlocks and its expiration date:

Active Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mystery Gifts

Reward	Code or alternative redemption requirements	Expiration date
Ralts holding Gardevoirite	No associated code. Select «Get via internet» in the Mystery Gift menu.	Feb. 28, 2026
100x Poke Balls	Every code is unique. You can unlock the code for this Mystery Gift by purchasing the digital version of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. The code will be sent to the email associated with your Nintendo account.	March 10, 2026
3x Fast Balls, 3x Lure Balls, 3x Heavy Balls, 3x Level Balls	Every code is unique. You can unlock the code for this Mystery Gift by purchasing the Mega Dimension DLC. The code will be sent to the email associated with your Nintendo account.	March 10, 2026

How to redeem Mystery Gifts in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

If you have Mystery Gift codes to redeem in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, you’re likely eager to grab those rewards as soon as possible. But you need to do a little bit of legwork before unlocking the code redemption menu.

To unlock Mystery Gift functionality, you need to progress through the main story until you reach the third main mission, called A New Life in Lumiose City.

During this mission, you’ll meet Mable, the acting director of the Pokemon Research Lab in Kalos. Once you unlock Mable’s research, a new «Link Play» tab becomes accessible in the pause menu.

Within the Link Play tab, you can redeem Mystery Gift codes — as long as you’re connected to the internet.

What are Mystery Gifts?

Mystery Gifts are a long-running way to reward Pokemon players with extra goodies. The official gift distributions have existed since Pokemon Gold and Silver was released in 1999.

Back then, players needed to have special hardware — like a Game Boy Advance Wireless Adaptor — in order to acquire Mystery Gifts. Newer games make the process much easier, since you need only connect to Wi-Fi in order to access gifts for the Pokemon games on the Nintendo Switch.

While some Mystery Gifts are accessible for free, others are unlocked by promo codes that you’ll have to hunt down through specific means. Mystery Gifts are good ways to gather precious items, add mythical Pokemon to the Pokedex and capture rare shiny Pokemon.