CEOs of Specialized, Rapha, Assos, BMC and others sign Climate Commitment letter
The letter is an appeal to the cycling industry to address its responsibility in meeting UN climate targets.
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Some key players in the cycling industry are pledging to speed up their efforts to reach UN climate targets.
In the Climate Commitment letter released today by Shift Cycling Culture, the CEOs of Specialized, Rapha, Assos, BMC and a dozen other multinational cycling companies stated their commitment to addressing the climate crisis by disclosing their own carbon impacts as well as committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030.
The letter also implores other industry players to follow suit.
Cycling has numerous positive impacts on climate, notably its potential to decrease the number of automobiles in transit. However, the cycling industry also has a negative impact on climate, producing a significant level of carbon emissions at the production level.
In the Climate Commitment letter, the cycling industry pledges allegiance to the standards set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement states that in order to keep global warming below the critical level of 1.5 degrees Celsius, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 55 percent by 2030 and by 100 percent no later than 2050.
The signatories of the Climate Commitment letter acknowledge that in order to show a real commitment to slowing the climate crisis, they must both report their own carbon impacts, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emission at the same levels indicated in the Paris Agreement.
“To reach this target in the cycling industry, we need the entire supply chain to be involved,” the letter states. “The biggest part of the environmental impact of our products arises from production; 50 – 80 percent of carbon emissions take place when we extract, source, and produce materials and parts. We operate in a linear economy that doesn’t place value on the recirculation of materials, and too often, our customers are left with incompatible and redundant parts and products.”
The letter acknowledges the enormity of the task and asks for industry-wide collaboration and innovation. The founding signatories invite anyone in the cycling industry to sign the letter and commit to the Paris Agreement standards.