November 10, 2021 - A quick scan of the COP26 program for “bikes” or “cycling” brings zero results which is frustrating advocates and organizations around the globe, including Canada, reports CBC.ca.
The summit’s focus on Wednesday, Nov. 10, turns to the transport sector hoping to accelerate the transition to 100% zero-emission vehicles and has put electric cars at the centre of discussions with no mention of bicycles.
But cycling advocates here and abroad say COP26 has failed to seize upon an unprecedented opportunity by ignoring bicycles as one of the cheapest and most efficient tools to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change, by focusing almost entirely on promoting a global shift to electric cars.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced cities around the world to rapidly repurpose streets and other public spaces for pedestrians and cyclists to use, and thereby share space more equitably with cars.
As more Canadians take to the road on two or three wheels instead of four, making cities here more accessible, advocacy groups like Vélo Canada Bikes urge the government to maintain that focus in the fight against climate change.
Vélo Canada Bikes recently joined more than 250 cycling organizations around the world in signing a letter addressed to global leaders attending COP26, asking them to commit to “urgently leverage the solutions that cycling offers by radically scaling up its use.”
Read the full article here.
