With cycling a recognised crucial element in the move towards a more sustainable future, representatives of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling event organisers and other sporting organisations will be involved in various events and initiatives organised as part of COP26.
The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report issued in August 2021 was unequivocal in its code red message for humanity: recent changes in the climate are widespread, rapid and intensifying.
Climate change is outpacing our ability to handle it, and therefore deep and rapid emissions reductions are required.
Climate change is the greatest threat to our sport as well as to the essential elements of life for people worldwide. The burning of fossil fuels and land-use change have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing the planet's temperature to rise rapidly. The resulting climate change threatens the natural environment that cyclists treasure, our way of life, health, and the economy.
Cycling as a key solution
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C identified cycling as a pathway to ensuring a safe and sustainable world for everyone, both now and in the future. Targets to reduce carbon emissions by 2030 in line with the 1.5-degree limit for global warming cannot be achieved without a systematic increase of cycling.
As highlighted by the BYCS - a global not-for-profit organisation supporting community led urban change through cycling - in a similar article on COP26, “cycling should then be understood as a means to create resilient, liveable and inclusive cities. It is a tool to tackle climate change while addressing urban challenges such as mental health, sedentarisation, economic inequality. The World Health Organisation echoes this reality in its recently published COP26 Special Report on Climate Change and Health. They propose a set of priority actions from the global health community to governments and policy makers, notably emphasising a need to reimagine urban environments, transport, and mobility by prioritising walking, cycling, and public transport, reducing private car use and creating people centric cities.”
Need more convincing? Here are several interesting facts and figures which illustrate the benefits of cycling within the context of climate change:
Using a bike instead of a car for short trips reduces your travel emissions by around 75%.
Switching from a car to a bicycle saves 150 g of CO2 per kilometre. Each 7 km by bike will save an emission of 1 kilogram of CO2 compared to the same distance covered by car.
Swapping the car in cities for walking, cycling and e-biking even just one day a week can reduce someone's carbon footprint by about half a tonne of CO2 over a year.
Electric cargo bikes cut carbon emissions by 90% compared with diesel vans.
Up to 51% of freight deliveries in cities could be replaced by e-cargo bikes to help reduce congestion, carbon emissions and pollution.
Manufacturing a diesel van could produce as much as 7,500Kg of CO2 vs as little as 280 Kg CO2 to make a cargo e-bike. Over its lifetime, a diesel van would emit at least eight times more CO2 per kilometre than an e-cargo bike.
The sport of cycling is a catalyst for climate action
The sport of cycling is a platform to reach millions of people worldwide and influence more sustainable behaviours through competitive events and all other forms of bicycle use. Experience has shown that people who get to see an elite cycling event are more likely to be motivated to increase their use of bikes.
The UCI has developed detailed Sustainability Guidelines for delivering events, advocating for cycling as a mode of transport and encouraging better inclusion in the sport. Similarly, the UCI Cycling for All Side Events Toolkit guides event organisers on engaging towns and cities on the benefits of enabling more cycle use for everyday journeys. Local communities where elite cycling events are being held can be inspired by side events that:
Promote cycling in all its forms
Encourage riding to work or school
Promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles
Raise awareness for environmental concerns and cycling's potential for reducing transport-related carbon emissions.
Promote cycle tourism in the area
Cycling centred side events at COP26
While world leaders will be gathering to discuss global policy questions at COP26, several side events hosted within Glasgow (and in many cases also broadcast online) will address the key role cycling plays in the climate crisis, with UCI and/or cycling stakeholders involved in several of these exchanges:
On 1 November, the not-for-profit organisation BYCS will facilitate the COP26 Cycling Forum, an event bringing together individuals and organisations cycling to, and representing cycling at COP26. The event, held at the Gartnavel General Hospital, will celebrate ongoing achievements, and gather momentum for spreading cycling’s critical role in the climate crisis.
On 3 November, UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action will host “On the Race to Net Zero” which will feature high level speakers representing signatories of the framework. UCI Vice-President Katerina Nash will take part in a panel including sports on the net-zero track. The event will also be broadcast live online (more details to follow).
Also on 3 November, Beyond Sport will be hosting a sport and climate action day during which the CEO of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships - Trudy Lindblade – will take part in a panel highlighting steps taken by the event to minimise impact, and mobilise communities to play their part in combatting climate change (session also broadcast live here).
On 10 November, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, in collaboration with the UCI, will feature a series of panels and announcements highlighting the power of sport for sustainable development, as well as UCI Bike Cities and Regions transforming their communities through a holistic event hosting and social impact strategy. This event will also be accessible online (more details to follow).