UCI targets COP26 governments with cycling message

The Union Cycliste International (UCI) - the world governing body for cycling - and other international cycling organisations have written an open letter to the governments attending the Conference of the Parties 2026 (COP26) climate talks urging them to utilise cycling to lower carbon emissions.

Source: AAP

A coalition of cycling groups penned an open letter, sent to all transport ministers of governments that attended COP26, to try and convince world leaders that cycling is one of the ways forward to lower carbon emissions that are created by vehicles.

The joint submission of 176 cycling bodies from around the world, the letter says that by quickly acting and getting more people riding bikes levels of carbon pollution can be swiftly reduced.

"The world needs much more cycling if it is to combat climate change,” reads the open letter. “Without quicker and more determined action by governments worldwide to cut transport carbon emissions, future generations will be faced with a world that is more hostile and much less inhabitable.

"CO₂ emissions from the transport sector continue to increase. Meanwhile, the transition to zero-emission cars and lorries will take decades to complete and will not solve other problems like traffic congestion and sedentary lifestyles.

"Despite this, COP26 Transport Day on 10 November is set to focus exclusively on the electrification of road vehicles as a solution to the climate crisis we are facing today."

The signatories to the letter include Australia organisations Streets Alive Yarra, We Ride Australia and Bicycle Network Australia. Australian cyclists still report feeling unsafe on the roads, with 43 per cent of respondent saying they felt unsafe on Australian roads in a 2018 survey. 

While that will be a brake on cycling expanding in Australia, the UCI highlighted the positive impacts globally of shifting to a more bike-focused future.

"The UCI, ECF and all in the coalition believe cycling represents one of humanity’s greatest hopes for a shift towards a zero-carbon future. Bicycle use produces zero emissions, delivers far-reaching positive societal impacts and – most importantly – is a technology that is already widely available today.

"The world cannot afford to wait decades for fossil-fuel cars to be fully phased out and replaced by electric vehicles. It is necessary to urgently leverage the solutions that the bicycle offers by radically scaling up its use."