From its earliest beginnings in the 19th century, the bicycle has come to be one of the most widely used and most recognisable inventions in the world.
Around 42% of all households worldwide have a bike – more than have access to a car or motorcycle. While there are big differences in bike ownership between countries, bikes are more common than cars at the global level, and used for sport and recreation as well as being an affordable mode of transport.
Cycling is not only good for human health and wellbeing, but can also help to reduce pollution and lower emissions as a method of sustainable transport.
That’s why in March 2022 the 193 members of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution promoting cycling to combat global warming. The resolution recommends that all Member States integrate bikes into public transport methods in urban and rural settings and take action to improve road safety and promote the use of cycling as a method of transport.
There is compelling evidence in favour of encouraging cycling as a way to reduce the number of cars on the road and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. Improving bike infrastructure comes out strongly in a recent comparison of different methods to reduce car use in city centres. Based on a study of different interventions used in European cities, traffic control methods such as creating car-free streets and replacing parking spaces with bike lanes has been found to lower car use in city centres by up to 20%. Planning for improved bike infrastructure around large workplaces, such as universities, was also found to contribute to reductions in car use.
In Mexico City, the long-standing EcoBici bike-sharing scheme has been found to reduce 8% of taxi use and 5% of private car use, removing 499 tons of CO2. What’s more, 82% of users have reported positive changes such as saving money and getting fitter. In a city in which the car is a status symbol, the EcoBici scheme was introduced with a campaign to promote cycling as aspirational – the ‘intelligent way to travel’.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapid creation of new bike infrastructure and car-free streets in many cities, such as Paris, France, and Bogotá, Columbia, provided an opportunity to test out the hypothesis that improved infrastructure would lead to an increase in cycling. Findings suggest that the policies were successful in creating a large increase in urban cycling, leading some cities to make their new infrastructure a permanent feature. Whether or not the increase in cycling can be sustained beyond the exceptional context of the pandemic remains to be seen, but this urban experiment has proven that societies can transform their behaviours quickly in the face of a crisis.
Cycling as a mode of sustainable transport provides an opportunity to decouple growth from emissions in urban areas. However, many studies on cycling originate from the Global North, from cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam where cycling infrastructure is very well developed, and there is less evidence available from cities in the Global South. Research points to challenges for further development of cycling infrastructure in the Global South such as lack of funding, opposition from motorists and marginalization of those most likely to benefit from improved bike infrastructure – the urban poor – in policy processes. There may also be perceptions about cycling that hinder uptake and barriers associated with access to bikes.
However, with urbanization increasing, there’s an urgent need to think beyond car-centric planning, and build sustainable transport systems that integrate safe and accessible cycling. On World Bicycle Day, let’s hope that the new UN resolution to promote cycling makes a difference.
You might also be interested in

Pathways to a sustainable post-COVID world – reports from the IIASA-ISC consultative platform.
Image by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Related Items
Cultivating a proactive approach to crises: first meeting of the UNEP/ISC foresight expert panel
26.09.2023

"The making of the Golden Record of our century": daring to pursue mission-oriented science
19.09.2023

To achieve sustainable development, the world needs to mobilize around a big science approach once more
13.09.2023

Proclamation of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development by the United Nations General Assembly
29.08.2023

Global science needs a new approach to tackle climate change and complex sustainability question
27.07.2023

The ISC addresses the UN High Level Political Forum and meets with the UN Secretary General
24.07.2023

Ambitious global $1 billion per year ‘mission science’ model needed to win on sustainable development in time, warn experts
12.07.2023

Charting a New Course: Science Day to Pioneer Evidence-Based Strategies for SDG Acceleration at the HLPF 2023
11.07.2023

A Model for Implementing Mission Science for Sustainability: proposed by the Technical Advisory Group to the Global Commission on Science Missions for Sustainability
11.07.2023

Frontiers Planet Prize, second edition: celebrating the world’s most innovative sustainability scientists
08.06.2023

The ISC at the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution
29.05.2023

Rising to the challenge of the High-Level Meeting on the Sendai Framework: Insights from the ISC's latest disaster risk reduction report
18.05.2023

Nurturing a Sustainable Future: Collaboration, Empowerment, Trust, and Resilience in Science at the ISC Mid-term Members Meeting
16.05.2023

ISC's nomination track ensures transdisciplinary and global representation in UNEP's Scientific Advisory Group for GEO-7 Assessment
14.04.2023

Rebalancing Waste Management Governance in Cities with Informal Systems: Engaging Local Stakeholders and Academics through Transdisciplinary Research
11.04.2023

Launch of the LIRA 2030 Africa reports highlighting key achievements and lessons learned from advancing transdisciplinary science in Africa
03.04.2023

LIRA 2030 Africa: Learning from Practising Transdisciplinary Research for Sustainable Development in African Cities
03.04.2023

UN 2023 Water Conference carries new engagements towards realizing SDG6 and future avenues for a decade of action
23.03.2023

IPCC report: the world must cut emissions and urgently adapt to the new climate realities
21.03.2023

Delivering actionable and science-based water solutions: new ISC policy brief launched ahead of the 2023 UN Water Conference
15.03.2023

Second conference on the war in Ukraine: exploring the impact on the science sector and supporting initiatives
14.03.2023

ISC-BBC StoryWorks partnership ends on a high note, delivering some of the highest engagement for the BBC
13.03.2023

Achieving gender equality in Science, Technology and Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)– when will we get there?
08.03.2023

World is set to miss UN targets for preventing deadly and costly disasters by 2030, warns International Science Council
28.02.2023

Distinguished lecture series - From fire to space - Basic sciences lead and shape our paths toward sustainable development
13.02.2023

Invitation to ISC Members and their networks to second experts on horizon scanning and foresight
08.02.2023

Concern for science and research in Afghanistan following authorities' ban on women from higher education
24.01.2023

The ISC and UNEP to cooperate on advancing the use of science in environmental policy and decision-making
16.12.2022

Science in Times of Crisis Episode 3 - The Fallout of Conflict: The Arctic and Outer Space
15.12.2022

Call for nominations for authors, review editors and fellows to contribute to the drafting of the 7th edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7)
04.12.2022

There are 8 years left to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals, but is it enough time?
18.11.2022

Are we in a new era of climate adaptation implementation? The role of regional governments in facilitating local action
09.11.2022

In the face of extreme weather events, coordinated global action to address climate change is needed at COP27
04.11.2022

Scientific review of the first-order draft of the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report completed
03.11.2022

Professor Carlos Lopes on why Africa needs to stick to renewables despite the temptation of gas
28.10.2022

ISC and WHO sign new agreement furthering mutual scientific cooperation for global health and sustainable development
14.10.2022

Happy birthday to the Montreal Protocol – the most successful environmental treaty of all time?
16.09.2022

Position paper of the Scientific and Technological Community Major Group for the 2022 High-level Political Forum
17.06.2022

International Science Council appoints 66 Foundation Fellows who have made exceptional contributions to the role of science as a global public good
09.06.2022

Three things to know about how Intellectual Property can contribute to sustainability transitions
26.04.2022

Joint letter to ISC Members from ISC President, Peter Gluckman, and Acting CEO, Mathieu Denis
06.04.2022

Systemic Risk Briefing Note highlights complexity of interconnected, interdependent, and uncertain challenges
10.03.2022

Women Leading on Equitable and Inclusive Solutions to address the Climate Emergency: Webinar
08.03.2022

The window for climate action to avoid dangerous systemic risks is narrowing, warns latest IPCC report
28.02.2022

Further action on biosecurity is needed to safeguard the rapidly growing global seaweed industry
04.01.2022

An early career perspective on the science-policy interface in the decade of climate action following COP26
28.12.2021

The International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly for 2022
03.12.2021

Negotiations on ending global plastic pollution must be informed by scientific assessment
22.11.2021

Four considerations for accelerating progress on climate change at the science-policy interface
05.11.2021

Ten outstanding individual scientists and organizations celebrated in first ever ISC Awards
13.10.2021

Strengthening the resilience of our global food system while advancing its transformation
23.09.2021

Indigenous inclusion in the science-policy sphere requires more than symbolic gestures: Interview with Meg Parsons
10.08.2021

Navigating towards sustainability: how research networks can make a difference using the ‘network compass’
06.07.2021

Critical social science perspectives on transformations to sustainability – emerging framings and approaches
14.06.2021

A response to The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response’s new report on the international health response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
12.05.2021

2021 Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs: amplifying STI for a sustainable and resilient COVID-19 recovery
01.05.2021

COVID-19 has sparked new relationships between academia and policymakers – we must maintain them
20.04.2021

High-level group appointed to lead the development of the ISC’s strategy in the intergovernmental system
29.03.2021

Working scientist podcast: Democratizing knowledge and access to tools for sustainable development
11.03.2021

World Engineering Day - science and engineering are key partners in building a sustainable future
04.03.2021

The ISC has been honoured to have Dr Flavia Schlegel serve as its first Special Envoy for Science in Global Policy
22.12.2020

ISC and Sustainability in the Digital Age partner to drive transformative system changes for an equitable world
27.11.2020

Transformation to Sustainability: Integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge systems for water management and governance
20.10.2020

Coalition for Environmental Sustainability in support of the UN’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation
24.04.2020

Call for Nominations for the Scientific Committee for the Urban Health and Wellbeing programme
13.12.2019

Global Sustainable Development Report 2019 calls for urgent, targeted action to avoid reversing the development gains of recent decades
23.09.2019

ISC commits to enhanced collaboration with UN-Habitat and UNDRR on urban health and wellbeing and disaster risk reduction
20.06.2019

The triumphs and trials of transdisciplinary research: reflections on the un-disciplining of disciplines
28.05.2019

Official Statement by the Scientific and Technological Community (STC) Major Group Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2019, Geneva, Switzerland
17.05.2019

Science and Policy Forum underscores need for collaboration across science, policy makers and society for success in disaster risk reduction
15.05.2019

ISC launches policy briefs ahead of the UN Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2019)
10.05.2019

External evaluation report of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is now available
19.04.2019

COP24 side event on The CitiesIPCC Research and Action Agenda for effective urban responses to climate change
07.12.2018

How to bring clean energy to informal settlements: Co-designing sustainable energy solutions in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa
28.08.2018

Transforming southern African cities in a changing climate – Q and A with Alice McClure from the University of Cape Town
28.08.2018

Public launch event of the Council explores values of science and links between science, politics and society
05.07.2018

The United Nations proclaims the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements
10.01.2018

SDG Interactions, gender, science-policy interface: ICSU at the High Level Political Forum
17.07.2017

First UN Oceans conference highlights urgency to address marine pollution, warming and over-fishing
15.06.2017

International Council for Science calls on United States to support international efforts to combat dangerous climate change
01.06.2017

New report from scientific experts provides a unique guide to translate Sustainable Development Goals into reality
12.05.2017

Call for pre-proposals: Advancing the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 11 on cities in Africa
27.02.2017
Call for Nominations for the Scientific Committee for the Urban Health and Wellbeing programme
10.02.2017
GSDR report launches in France – High level event and workshop co-organized by ICSU, UNDESA, IDDRI and IRD
28.10.2016
ICSU’s Urban Health and Wellbeing Programme highlights importance of health issues at UNEP General Assembly
24.05.2016
International experts submit report on Future of the Seas and Oceans to G7 Science and Technology Ministers meeting in Japan
21.05.2016
ICSU’s Urban Health programme convenes workshop in China on modelling approaches to human health risks in cities
02.05.2016
Call for expressions of interest: Modeling urban health and wellbeing – communicating results for policy and action
23.09.2015
Former ICSU President Jane Lubchenco awarded Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for Work in Changing Policy
25.03.2015
More than 1,000 delegates gather in Geneva for talks on global disaster risk reduction agreement
20.11.2014

Landmark scientifc data conference ends with strong support of data sharing for sustainability
12.11.2014
UN supports call for an international science advisory mechanism on disaster risk reduction
26.07.2014
Paper published on ICSU's programme on Health and Wellbeing in the Changing Urban Environment
11.01.2013
Science Plan on Health and Wellbeing in the Changing Urban Environment – ICSU Regional Office for Asia & the Pacific
10.01.2013
Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) to meet in Panama
13.04.2012
Science Plan on Sustainable Energy – ICSU Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean
01.01.2010

ICSU launches an Agenda for Action in advance of the World Summit on the Information Society
17.07.2003