The European Union is finally officially acknowledging the importance of cycling as a climate-friendly means of transport (see EU Declaration of Cycling as a means of climate-friendly transport). The Declaration's action plans invites local, regional and national focal points on cycling as a means of transport.

It is the official EU-strategy, which was finally agreed upon a few weeks ago by the European Commission, that gives priority to climate friendly means of transport such as cycling. One example of a successful business model is Cycle Logistics. Here you can find a short article by Jos Hermans on a relatively new development in this field namely the rising popularity of Cycle Logistics, where transporters use so-called carrier-bicycles to bring goods from outside the city into town centers and vice versa.

The advantages are obvious. Cycle Logistics is taking carbon out of last mile deliveries in more and more cities and towns. Cost effective, fast and reliable, Cycle Logistics offers a secure, professional, zero emission service to communities everywhere. From an environmental point of view this is a major improvement. At the borders of towns and cities throughout Europe we see more and more transfer stations, ‘hubs’, where goods are being re-packed and made fit for further transport into city centers.

But there is more. Cycle logistics appear to be able to create thousands of new jobs for inventive people. Young or old, independent of gender, entrepreneurial individuals can prepare their own 1-2 persons company, and with the help of micro-credits invest in the relatively small financial needs of their own start-up. In this way Cycle Logistics meets with another prerequisite of sustainable development: it can have a social impetus with a high level of gender equality and promote social independency. To read the full article click here.