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UCI celebrates World Bicycle Day by strengthening commitment to sustainability
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) today marked the fourth edition of World Bicycle Day by announcing the next steps of its sustainability strategy and taking significant strides towards its vision of making cycling one of the most sustainable sports in the world.
Since 2018, June 3rd has represented a day of celebration for bicycle advocates and enthusiasts around the globe. Declared World Bicycle Day by the United Nations (UN), it highlights the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of this 200-year-old invention, as well as its benefits as a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and sustainable means of transport, promoting health for all.
A first step in promoting greater environmental and social responsibility throughout the sport is the release of the UCI Sustainability Guidelines. This toolkit, which is also available on sustainability.sport, provides simple, practical and essential information on key aspects of sustainability for National Federations, event organisers, teams, and other cycling stakeholders to start the journey to developing effective sustainability programmes.
GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli said:
“On this year’s World Bicycle Day, the UCI, a GAISF Member, has effectively showcased how sustainability truly is at the heart of sport through a strategy which incorporates environmental, social and economic sustainability.
“Cycling is an active and healthy way for us to be kinder to our planet’s environment, and a symbol of sustainable mobility in cities across the world. This is why it is so encouraging to again witness the UCI’s strong commitment to informing, educating and inspiring its stakeholders and the wider cycling community on sustainability.”
UCI President David Lappartient said:
“As the world governing body for cycling, the UCI is committed to embedding sustainability into our organisation and providing a template for Continental Confederations and National Federations, event organisers, teams, riders, and partners from across the cycling world to follow.
“The UCI’s sustainability strategy aims to create value for all stakeholders and provide education, resources and support to ensure that cycling can play a winning role in achieving global climate change goals. The cycling of tomorrow is built today, and we must look towards creating a sustainable future for the next generations, together.”
The UCI’s sustainability strategy was developed in close collaboration with internal and external working groups, including cycling stakeholder representatives. The targets and actions announced for the UCI include, but are not limited to, the following objectives:
- Set science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from UCI and UCI World Cycling Centre operations to achieve carbon neutrality with a 45 per cent reduction of absolute emissions by 2030.
- Integrate environmental, social and economic responsibility into UCI policies, operations, and decision-making processes.
- Develop a Diversity and Inclusion strategy.
- Develop a sustainable sourcing strategy for the UCI and UCI events.
- Share best practice and become a global centre for collaboration on cycling sustainability solutions, including providing sustainability resources and education for National Federations.
- Develop a carbon calculator tool for use by cycling stakeholders.
- Measure the UCI’s environmental and social impacts to report progress against sustainability objectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Work with organisations worldwide to protect and enhance biodiversity.
The new Sustainability section on the UCI website, including the new Guidelines and Targets, can be accessed here: https://www.uci.org/cycling-for-all/sustainability
Check out UCI’s Instagram for all the latest World Bicycle Day activities: https://www.instagram.com/uci_cycling/