The COP31 Bike Ride has launched from several Western European cities en route to Antalya for the UN climate summit in November. In Berlin, retired pediatrician Gerd Steiner arrived with a banner that sailed from Belém, Brazil, and musicians including Bernadette La Hengst performed at the Brandenburg Gate. Organizers — including Jolein Schorel and Respect Cyclists — are promoting ten proposals to make cycling a core climate solution, calling for a basic bike-lane network by 2030 and funded national cycling plans.
COP31 Bike Ride Kicks Off Across Europe — Banner From Belém Reaches Berlin
The annual bicycle ride to the next United Nations Climate Conference (COPBIKERIDE.org), which this year is being held in Turkey, has got underway from several key cities in western Europe including from Hamburg to Berlin en route to Antalya in NovemberRespect Cyclicists
The COP31 Bike Ride (COPBIKERIDE.org) has launched from multiple Western European cities and will travel toward Antalya, Turkey, where the UN climate summit convenes in November. Cyclists, campaigners and musicians gathered at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate to mark the start of the route and to call on governments to treat cycling as a core climate solution.
Retired pediatrician and longtime cycling advocate Gerd Steiner arrived in Berlin carrying a banner that began its journey in Belém, Brazil, and reached Hamburg aboard the sailing ship Avontuur. Flanked by members of the Berlin-based Respect Cyclists, Steiner was greeted with strong winds, umbrellas and climate songs performed by German musician Bernadette La Hengst and her choir, Chor der Statistik.
Jolein Schorel, a sustainability expert from Utrecht and one of the ride organizers, urged people along the route to join the movement.
"We are connecting with the rest of the world and with those who want cycling to be recognized as among the key climate solutions. We are bringing this message to leaders attending COP31, co-hosted by Turkey and Australia," Schorel said.
German musician and song writer Bernadette La Hengst, We Don't Have Time presenter Nick Nuttall and Chor der Statistik member Birgit Herrgoss at the Brandenburg Gate: July 2026Volker Mai of Respect Cyclists
La Hengst and members of Chor der Statistik performed several climate-themed songs — including "I'm an Island," which previously featured as a cultural moment at COP23 — adding a cultural dimension to the launch event.
Ten Proposals To Leverage Cycling For Climate Protection
The ride promotes ten concrete proposals to accelerate cycling as part of climate action. Organizers point to research suggesting that a realistic modal shift to walking, cycling and public transport could cut transport emissions by up to 50 percent, yet only about 25 percent of countries currently include cycling and walking in their national climate commitments (NDCs).
Key proposals highlighted along the route include completing a basic, structural network of bike lanes by 2030 — prioritizing inter-town and multimodal connectivity for daily journeys — and developing dedicated cycling strategies through 2030 backed by specific funding, implementation reviews and meaningful participation from cycling associations.
Sybille Grunze and Volker Mai of Respect Cyclists unveil the #COP31BikeRide banner in front of the German transport ministry building in BerlinRespect Cyclicists
Speaking to the campaign platform We Don't Have Time, Mr. Steiner described the personal motivations that inspired his roughly 560 km contribution to the route:
"Through my actions I want to set an example of how a life without heavy resource consumption can still be fulfilling. This includes a vegetarian or vegan diet, buying second-hand clothes and books, avoiding driving whenever possible and not flying," he said. Steiner, who lives in Westerrönfeld near Rendsburg and volunteers to support migrants, summed up his approach as: "Ride slower and change" and warned, "peace in the world or the world in pieces."
Back in Berlin, Sibylle Grunze and Volker Mai of Respect Cyclists unveiled the #COP31BikeRide banner in front of the German Transport Ministry. Grunze, who helped film the event for We Don't Have Time, used the moment to warn about setbacks for urban cycling:
"It is great to focus on climate and the changes we need in our cities. In Berlin we are witnessing a worrying rollback in cycling policies — bike lanes removed, trees felled. Wake up and come to the new century with us," she said to applause.
The COP31 Bike Ride departs from several European cities including Lisbon, Bordeaux, Amsterdam, London, Bilbao, Pointe du Raz and Hamburg and will converge on Antalya in the run-up to COP31. Organizers hope the cross-continental ride will amplify calls for safe, funded and connected cycling infrastructure that delivers climate, health and equity benefits.
Originally published on Forbes.com.
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