2023 UCI Cycling World Championships united on climate action

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships has underlined its ambition to be a leader in environmental innovation and sustainable development in sport by becoming a signatory of the United Nations Sports for Climate Change Action Framework.

The Championships, which takes place in Glasgow and across Scotland in August 2023, will unite the global cycling family by bringing 13 existing UCI World Championships together for the first time into one mega event.

At the heart of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships is a goal to effect transformational change by using its global platform to encourage more people to ride bikes and demonstrate how cycling can be one of the greatest weapons against climate change.

Now, to coincide with COP26 taking place in Glasgow, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships has joined the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) as the only dedicated cycling organisations signed up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework.

The pledge involves supporting the key principles of the Sports for Climate Action Framework to not only deliver an event that has sustainability at its core but also to use the platform of a global event as a catalyst for change.

In support of these ambitions, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships delivered an event in Scotland’s Climate Action Zone during COP26 featuring expert speakers and panellists from a range of sectors to showcase the Power of the Bike and the impact it can have in tackling climate change.

Trudy Lindblade, CEO of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, said: “The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will be the biggest cycling event the world has ever seen with 8,000 elite and amateur cyclists from more than 120 countries taking part. Central to our ambitions is not only delivering an event that leads the way in sustainability but also affords its global reach and influence to deliver meaningful and lasting change.

“We know the humble bike represents one of the planet's great hopes to shift towards lower or zero-carbon methods of transport and address some of the greatest threats to humanity; climate change, air pollution and premature death from inactivity. We’re proud to join the UCI as a signatory of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework and to work with our partners to deliver our Power of the Bike event during COP26 to showcase how powerful a tool the bike can be in our efforts against climate change.”

UCI Director General Amina Lanaya said: “We applaud the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships team on their decision to join the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, and work hand in hand with the UNFCCC, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and almost 300 sporting organisations around the world to reduce sport’s greenhouse gas emissions. As the world governing body for cycling, the UCI is committed to reducing the impact of its operations on the environment and collaborating with stakeholders to achieve significant changes within the sport. I therefore congratulate and thank our partners in Glasgow and Scotland for recognising the absolute importance of hosting sustainable sporting events with the commitment to uphold the Framework’s guiding principles.”

The Power of the Bike: Sustainable 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds was held in Scotland’s Climate Action Zone in Glasgow on 10 November. Attended by partners and stakeholders from Scotland and beyond, including more than 400 virtual registrations, the event was designed to inspire people to join the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships on its journey to delivering long-lasting and sustainable impact.

It featured keynote speeches from Maree Todd, Minister for Women’s Health, Public Health and Sport, Paul Bush and Trudy Lindblade as Chair and CEO of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and Transport Commissioner and Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman, who is also a policy adviser to British Cycling.

It will also include two panel sessions focussed on The Power of Sport for Sustainable Development and Leading Cycling Cities Enhancing the Power of the Bike featuring panel speakers including UCI Vice-President Enrico Della Casa, British Cycling’s Policy Manager Nick Chamberlin, Paralympic cyclist Hannah Dines and Councillor David McDonald from Glasgow City Council among others.