Thanks to the proposal of the representative of Turkmenistan, on 15 March the 193 members of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in support of cycling as a means of combating climate change. The resolution was passed unanimously and, like all General Assembly resolutions, while not binding on states, it represents another institutional step towards accrediting cycling as a pillar of sustainable mobility. It calls on Member States to “integrate cycling into public transport, urban and rural environments in both developing and developed countries.” It also suggests that policymakers “pay particular attention to cycling in cross-cutting development strategies, including bike sharing services” as well as in “international, regional, national, and sub-national development policies and programmes” whenever possible.

In a very complicated geopolitical situation due to the conflict in Ukraine, which threatens to undo years of joint work in favour of the environment, this is good news. Not least because the extensive and massive use of bicycles would reduce CO2 emissions from commuting. A British study estimates that the widespread use of e-bikes could replace 3 million car journeys to work and, consequently, 10% of the CO2 emissions produced by commuting.

It is official: Mums, buy your kids a bike!