Alliance for walking, cycling, wheeling and ‘passenging’ launched at Bali UN Climate
Conference. Its main task will be to lobby politics to work for sustainable transport: less cars,
more human powered mobility.

“The transport sector is one of the main contributors to climate change, therefore it has to be part of
its solution”, declares Manfred Neun, President of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF). Neun
says this one day after the European Commission introduced new legislation regarding CO2 fines for
carmakers. This proposal for new legislation came under fire from the German government, protecting
its domestic carmakers. In particular German manufacturers failed to live up to a 1998 voluntary
agreement by the EU’s Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) to achieving a target of
140g/km by 2008. This failure fits into the global picture that carbon dioxide emissions from road
transport in the EU have increased by 26 percent from 1990–2004.

Therefore, ECF demands a paradigm shift in politics. Instead of waiting for expensive new
technologies that should finally reduce CO2-car emissions, politics should less focus on cars and more
on bicycles. In urban transport, bicycles are the fastest and most efficient transport mode; they are
emission-free, noiseless and good for your health. “This globe is desperate for more cycling”, says
Neun.

The bicycle has a huge potential. In the European Union, a majority of car journeys are short distance
drives: 50 percent are shorter than five kilometres. If only 30 percent of car journeys below six
kilometres were replaced by bicycle trips, this would lead to a four percent reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions from road traffic. A necessary way to go since the European Union has entered into a clear
commitment in 2007: reducing its CO2 emissions at least by 20% in 2020 (compared to 1990 levels).
To lobby the paradigm shift, ECF helped to launch the Global Alliance for EcoMobility in Bali. More
than 30 global companies, business and user associations, expert organizations, local governments and
United Nations agencies have joined together in a partnership for the integrated promotion of walking,
cycling, wheeling and ‘passenging’ (the use of public transport) in cities. ECF President Manfred
Neun has sent a video message to Bali which can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb3er4IY-oo

Once more, ECF renews its offer to the European Commission to cooperate on achieving sustainable
development in the transport sector.

Note to editors:
ECF is the umbrella federation of 51 national cyclists’ associations in Europe and beyond. On behalf of half a
million cyclists, we promote cycling for daily transport and recreation. Cycling has many angles: In the ECF
Declaration of Berne we ask the European institutions to adopt cycling-friendly policies as a means for tackling
climate change and for saving our cities from air pollution and congestion. Sustainable tourism is the very
meaning of our European cycle route network, EuroVelo®. We develop and share new concepts on cycling by
organising a biennial Velo-city® conference.

Contact:
ECF - Rue Joseph II 166 - 1000 Brussels;
Mobile Manfred Neun: +49 1715275145

 071221_ECF Press release_en.pdf