Dear Forest,
Today Vélo Canada Bikes released an open communique to COP 26 attendees calling for more investment in cycling to address climate change. We joined with 62 other cycling organisations around the world to emphasize that cycling is an important part of the solution.
Here is a link to the full open letter: COP 26 Letter (including embedded links)
COP26: Government leaders must commit to boosting cycling levels to reduce carbon emissions and reach global climate goals quickly and effectively
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The world needs much more cycling if we are to combat climate change. Without quicker and more determined action by governments worldwide to cut transport carbon emissions, we will be dooming present and future generations to a world that is more hostile and much less inhabitable.
This is why we, the undersigned 63 organisations, strongly appeal to all governments and leaders attending the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow to commit to significantly increasing the number of people who cycle in their countries. Governments can do this by building more high-quality cycling infrastructure, integrating cycling with public transport, improving road safety and implementing policies that encourage people and businesses to replace automobile trips with bicycle trips and other modes like walking and public transport. Promoting and enabling active mobility must be a cornerstone of global, national and local strategies to meet net-zero carbon targets.
Worldwide, transportation is responsible for 24% of direct CO2 emissions from fuel combustion. Road vehicles account for nearly three quarters of transport CO2 emissions, and these numbers are not decreasing. Aside from the unsustainable levels of CO2 emissions that are ruining Earth’s climate, road vehicles are polluting our air at unprecedented levels, contributing heavily to the deaths of an estimated seven million people worldwide every year.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) “Global Warming of 1.5 °C” special report has identified cycling as a pathway to ensuring a safe and sustainable world for everyone, both now and in the future. Bicycle use produces zero emissions and cycling delivers far-reaching positive societal impacts in addition to reduced pollution.
Cycling represents one of humanity’s greatest hopes for a shift towards a zero-carbon future. New research shows that life-cycle CO2 emissions drop by 14% per additional cycling trip and by 62% for each avoided car trip. Switching from a car to a bicycle saves 150g of CO2 per kilometre. E-cargo bikes cut carbon emissions by 90% compared with diesel vans. Swapping the car in cities for walking and cycling even just one day a week can reduce your carbon footprint by about half a tonne of CO2 over a year. Building synergies with other travel modes such as public transport can critically enhance this potential.
Our world is on fire. We must urgently leverage the solutions that cycling offers by radically scaling up its use. What we need now is for governments to politically and financially commit to more, safer and integrated cycling that is equitable for everyone living in our countries, cities and regions.
We urge all governments and leaders at COP26 to:
- Declare commitments to significantly boost cycling levels at home.
This can be done by:
- Promoting cycling in all its forms, including cycling tourism, sports cycling, bike sharing, riding to work or school and for exercising
- Recognising cycling as a climate solution, establishing a clear link between how an increase in bicycle trips and a decrease in private car trips reduce CO2 emissions
- Creating and financing national cycling strategies and collecting data on cycling to know where improvements in infrastructure and usage can be made
- Focusing investments on building safe and high-quality cycling infrastructure and in incentives for communities historically marginalised from cycling
- Providing direct incentives for people and businesses to switch from automobiles to bicycles for more of their daily trips
- Building synergies with public transport and foster combined mobility solutions for a multimodal ecosystem capable of covering all user needs without relying on a private car
- Collectively commit to achieving a global target of higher cycling levels. More cycling in a handful of countries will not be enough to reduce global CO2 emissions. All countries must contribute, and these efforts must be tracked at the UN level.
There is no conceivable way for governments to reduce CO2 emissions quickly enough to avoid the worst of the climate crisis without significantly more cycling. Cycling is one of the best solutions we already have to ensure our planet is habitable for all generations to come.
Signed:
1. European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF)
2. Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)
3. PeopleForBikes
4. Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)
5. International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
6. World Cycling Alliance (WCA)
7. 2030-sekretariatet
8. A Contramano - Asamblea Ciclista de Sevilla
9. ADFC – Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club
10. Alanya Outdoor Sports Club
11. Associação Natureza Portugal em parceria com a WWF
12. Aromeiazero Institute
13. BEN – Bicycling Empowerment Network Namibia
14. BYCS
15. BYCS India Foundation
16. Centar za životnu sredinu – Center for Environment
17. Czech Cyclists' Federation
18. Cities for Cycling – Network for Cycling in Greek Cities
19. Clean Cities Campaign
20. ConBici – Coordinadora en defensa de la bici
21. Cycling Embassy of Denmark
22. Cycling Scotland
23. Cycling UK
24. Cyclist.ie
25. Cycling Industries Europe
26. Cykelfrämjandet
27. Cyklokoalícia
28. Cyklistforbundet – Danish Cyclists’ Federation
29. Dutch Cycling Embassy
30. ENVERÇEVKO – Energy Efficiency and Environment Protection Association
31. European Cycle Logistics Federation (ECLF)
32. FIAB – Federazione Italiana Ambiente e Bicicletta
33. Federação Portuguesa de Cicloturismo e Utilizadores de Bicicleta
34. FUB – Fédération Française des Usagers de la Bicyclette
35. Romanian Cyclists' Federation
36. Fietsersbond Belgium
37. Fietsersbond Netherlands
38. Finnish Cyclists' Federation
39. Royal Moroccan Cycling Federation
40. Formosa Lohas Cycling Association
41. GRACQ – Les Cyclistes Quotidiens
42. Green Revolution Asociatia
43. GoBike – Strathclyde Cycle Campaign
44. Hellenic Urban Cycling Federation
45. Hungarian Cyclists' Club
46. International Mountain Bicycling Association Europe (IMBA Europe)
47. Latvian Cyclists Union
48. Lithuanian Cyclists' Community
49. Landssamtök hjólreiðamanna – Icelandic Cyclists Federation
50. MUBi – Associação pela Mobilidade Urbana em Bicicleta
51. POLIS
52. Pro Velo Switzerland
53. Radlobby Österreich
54. Sindikat Biciklista – Croatian Cyclists Union
55. Syklistforeningen – Norwegian Cyclists’ Association
56. Svensk Cykling – Swedish Cycling
57. Svenska Cykelstäder – Swedish Cycling Cities
58. Transporte Ativo (TA)
59. TUBIDEF – Tüm Bisiklet Dernekleri Federasyonu
60. UCB – Brazilian Cyclists' Union
61. Vélo & Territoires
62. Vélo Canada Bikes
63. World Bicycle Relief
