The survey reveals 80 per cent of industry representatives report their companies are taking a strategic approach to climate action, with 35 per cent having made considerable progress and being able to track the changes they’ve made.\u00a0<\/p>
Generally, staff members tend to be more optimistic than top management about climate commitments, which Shift Cycling Culture suggests could be due to the \u201cbottom-up approach on sustainability, where driving positive change starts with employees\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>
Despite this, Sandra Brandt, executive director of Shift Cycling Culture, a not-for-profit that drives climate action in cycling, says it’s impressive how far the industry has come in the three years since the Climate Commitment letter<\/a>.<\/p> \u201cWe didn’t see companies taking responsibility for their environmental impacts and acting on climate change,\u201d she says, adding that it\u2019s \u201ca huge success that we can get these results\u201d.\u00a0<\/p> However, the industry\u2019s efforts may be falling short of consumer expectations. The report highlights that industry representatives are more optimistic about their sustainability efforts than consumers. 60 per cent of the industry surveyed said they felt positive and only 24 per cent of consumers feel the same way.\u00a0<\/p> Even more damning, the report says cycling consumers don\u2019t agree that climate action seems like a high priority for the industry, but think it should be.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cThe companies are not communicating that much about their efforts yet. So maybe also consumers are just not aware of what is going on within the industry,\u201d Brandt speculates.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cAnother interesting result that could also help to try and explain this gap in optimism is that when we asked the cyclist what is most important to you, then it came back to repairability, \u2018comfortability\u2019, those kinds of things.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> Brandt says this \u2018gap in optimism\u2019 could also be due to what consumers value, which often differs from the familiar tale of watt-saving product innovation: \u201cIt’s not about having the latest [and] greatest for the cyclists, it’s often just about \u2018I want to ride my bike as long as possible and wear my favourite gear as long as possible. So give me options to repair what I have\u2019.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> The survey also found 77 per cent of consumer respondents have switched brands because of sustainability. 98 per cent of the 240 surveyed consumers said longevity and durability were important, 95 per cent said repairability and compatibility were important, while only 65 per cent said climate advocacy was important.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cMany companies are still not talking much about what they’re doing,\u201d says Brandt, explaining that part of the reason is a question of what should be communicated.\u00a0<\/p> In 2023, the European Commission introduced the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) to bring transparency to sustainability efforts. This means larger companies in cycling will have to publish a sustainability report.<\/p> \u201cIt’s definitely caused a lot of question marks or concerns with companies,\u201d Brandt says. The legislation means companies have to make sure most of the things they say and the terms they use are science-based and backed with real data, but that isn\u2019t the most translatable message.\u00a0<\/p> Even if sustainability efforts are not being communicated effectively, Brandt says Shift Cycling Culture sees brands \u201cmaking great progress\u201d.\u00a0<\/p> One area is product development, where brands have begun integrating sustainability into their designs. In two case studies, the Climate Action Pulse Check highlights Brompton\u2019s use of recycled aluminium<\/a> and Vittoria\u2019s Terreno Pro T60 gravel bike tyre<\/a> that uses 92 per cent renewable and recycled content.<\/p> However, Brandt says Shift Cycling Culture wants sustainability to be embedded throughout organisations, which requires everyone to be on board.<\/p> \u201cQuite often what we see is that a lot of employees have great ideas but don\u2019t actually know how they can contribute,\u201d says Brandt.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> Apidura is one brand that is getting everyone on board, according to the survey. The B Corp bikepacking bag company has rolled out carbon literacy training for its team. Apidura says this gives \u201ceach team member the opportunity to help positive change at a company-wide cultural level, as well as in their personal lives.\u201d\u00a0<\/p> Brandt says some companies are taking the lead on sustainability and beginning to work together. \u201cCompanies who are advanced in their climate journey now focus on the topic of collaboration and how can they actually come together to tackle some of their biggest challenges together, which is great to see,\u201d she says.<\/p> Brandt says Canyon has initiated climate action training, which involved seven other brands \u2013 including Scott, Trek and Schwalbe \u2013 and focused on reducing emissions in the brands\u2019 supply chains.<\/p> Based on the feedback of 84 industry professionals, the Climate Action Pulse Check says engaging the supply chain is being seen as the number one enabled to scale climate action across the industry. This isn\u2019t so surprising when, according to Shift Cycling Culture, 95 per cent of a cycling company\u2019s carbon emissions result from extraction and producing bikes and components.<\/p> The climate action training aims to equip companies with the skills to engage with suppliers to ask for energy and carbon emission data, which will help them with their CSRD obligations.\u00a0<\/p> But Brandt says the process is more of a stepping stone for Shift Cycling Culture \u201cso that companies team up with their suppliers and understand, \u2018OK, what are the things that we can do to help you as well to move forward with your climate agenda?\u2019.\u201d\u00a0<\/p> She says companies often share suppliers, so by teaming up, the cycling industry can work to drive down emissions at particular production sites.\u00a0<\/p>![\"Graphic](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/10\/CAP2024-socials_Industry-vs-Consumers.jpg\")
Great progress<\/h2>
![\"Graphic](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/10\/CAP2024-socials_06.jpg\")