Why we’re showing our stripes during COP26

All eyes are on Glasgow this coming two weeks, as world leaders and a multitude of negotiators, climate scientists, campaigners, businesses, NGOs and protesters descend on the city for COP26, the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference.

To mark the occasion, from 31st October to 12th November – the duration of COP26 – logos from the International Cargo Bike Festival’s online presence across Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, as well as our website, will change to reflect the importance of this moment. And once COP26 is over on November 13th, we’ll switch our logos back to the red and black you’re used to.

The ‘warming stripe’ graphics are visual representations of the change in global temperature over the past 100+ years. Each stripe represents the temperature averaged over a year.

Stripes

It’s an compelling image, going from cooler blues on the left – starting in 1860, with a surge of light and then darker reds to the right – the present day. A simple graphic that shows, in simple way, the stark reality of the climate emergency we all face. Developed by Professor Ed Hawkins (University of Reading), the graphic has grown in popularity since it was published in 2018.

Alternative versions of the graphic show the years:

…and the temperatures in graph form:

Cargo bikes: a solution that’s ready to roll

You might ask why we’re doing this. The climate emergency is one of the things that motivates us to do what we do at the ICBF. We work year-round to promote the cargo bike as one of the solutions to this most complicated of problems.

It’s a solution that takes polluting vehicles off our roads. It helps make our cities more liveable. And it helps to promote social and environmental justice.

Perhaps most importantly: it’s a solution that’s ready to roll. Not in 10 or 20 years – now. And that’s the message we want to send to the world leaders gathering in Glasgow. Fund the infrastructure that makes riding cargo bikes more attractive for organisations and private citizens than driving vehicles. Facilitate the cargo bike industry – big and small – global and local. It has been shown time and time again that when you create the right conditions, the cargo bike flourishes. And when the cargo bike is doing well, we all benefit.

Representation

We’re not at COP26 ourselves this year, but plenty of advocates for the cargo bike will be:

• Jill Warren, CEO of the European Cyclists’ Federation will be attending. She will also join us to speak  in a session at the cargo bike programme we’re curating this November at World of eMobility in Amsterdam.
• Jessie Stevens, Craig Boggan and Noël Wilmes are all making separate, long distance journeys to COP26 involving riding (or in Jessie’s case, being supported by) cargo bikes. Check out our social media channels for more coverage of their journeys.
• The Dutch Embassy in London put on a fleet of Pedal Me cargo bikes to transfer between London stations Dutch COP26 delegates travelling by train from Amsterdam to Glasgow.
• On 6th November, Pedal on COP26 will take place as part of the Global Day of Action in Glasgow. For more information including on feeder rides, here’s the link.

Find out more about COP26 here. All graphics are displayed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Find out more information about the stripes here: https://showyourstripes.info/