The first Climate Action Pulse Check, produced by Shift Cycling Culture, is aiming to accelerate collective climate action in the global cycling industry and community.
The inaugural 2024 Pulse Check gathered insights from 84 industry professionals across 16 countries as well as 240 cycling consumers from 19 countries. It aims to showcase how companies in the cycling sector are integrating climate action into their strategies and what cycling consumers ask of the industry.
Key findings include:
- 80% of industry representatives report that their companies are taking a strategic approach to climate action, with 35% having made considerable progress and are able to track their results.
- Industry professionals are generally more optimistic about sustainability efforts compared to cyclists, many of whom feel that climate action should be a higher priority for the industry.
- A significant 77% of cycling consumers have switched brands due to sustainability concerns. They place the highest value on product longevity and repairability.
- Many companies are concentrating on using materials with a lower climate impact, and engaging the supply chain is seen as a crucial way to scale climate action throughout the industry.
- Up to 87% of industry representatives recognise real benefits from their climate efforts beyond just reducing emissions. These benefits include product innovation, increased employee motivation, legal compliance, and the development of new business models.
- Common obstacles faced include a lack of resources, regulations, knowledge, and support from management.
- 61% of industry representatives are involved in collaborations that focus on climate and sustainability issues.
In a release Shift Cycling Culture noted that… ‘In 2021, when we launched the Shift Cycling Culture Climate Commitment with a group of progressive CEOs, very few companies in the global cycling industry were actively measuring and reducing their climate impact.
‘Now, only 3 years later, 64% of responding Climate Commitment signatories have delivered against their pledge and 80% of industry representatives report that their companies are taking a strategic approach to climate action. We should be proud of this progress and celebrate this moment in time.
‘But it’s the future that drives us. Just like the cyclists who participated [in the Climate Action Pulse Check], we feel that so much more still needs to be done.
‘We need more brands and their suppliers to step up, start measuring their impact and become transparent about their efforts. We want to support more companies to rethink how their products are designed, and how their businesses are run. We hope to see more cyclists leveraging their power as consumers, pushing the industry forward.’
www.shiftcyclingculture.com/climate-pulse-check-2024
