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Cycling is often held up as an easy and effective way to reduce emissions to help curtail the devastating effects of climate change.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t have to look far to spot examples of this. Cycling became a talking point at COP26<\/a>, where many groups and individuals at the summit were espousing the potential of cycling as a low-emissions mode of transport<\/a>, even if it wasn\u2019t on the official agenda.<\/p>\n But there is a problem \u2013 compared to other sectors, the cycling industry has been slow to address (or even acknowledge) its own impact.<\/p>\n While the act of riding a bike is low impact, the narrative around cycling and the climate rarely acknowledges the environmental harm caused by the extraction of materials, the production of bikes and the shipping of products around the world.<\/p>\n Throw the relentless development of new bikes, clothing and products into the mix and the problem is even worse.<\/p>\n There are, of course, many examples of cycling companies increasing the amount of recycled materials in their products and moving towards carbon offsetting. But a lack of transparency about emissions and of solid commitments to reducing environmental impact can make the cycling industry feel behind when compared to other sectors.<\/p>\n But is this changing? And is the cycling industry finally getting real about its environmental impact?<\/p>\n This year, there have been a number of initiatives from companies and organisations that suggest the tide could be turning.<\/p>\n