Few things as effective for the climate as leaving your car at home from time to time. And it's necessary, because the number of cars and their associated emissions keeps rising....
Recently, Humo and De Morgen polled what keeps the Flemish people awake in their big "fear survey. War, the economy and health care are obviously at the top, but at the bottom there is another important topic: climate change. No less than 72 percent of Flemish people are afraid, concerned or alarmed about climate change, extreme weather and natural disasters.
Those fears are well-founded, of course: 2023 was not only the warmest year since records began, the world was also ravaged by natural disasters. Former NASA scientist James Hansen left a note in The Guardian "that 2023 will be remembered as the moment when our failures became evident.
23.4 percent emissions from transportation
If we want to change this, we need to look primarily at the impact of companies and structural changes in terms of the energy we consume. The European Green Deal plays an important role in this, but also as individuals we can still do our bit.
One of the biggest factors in climate change is CO2 emissions. In Belgium, as much as 46 percent of these come from industry in one way or another. Almost a quarter of the emissions - 23.4 percent - come from transportation. And the bad thing is: that share is growing. While emissions are going down in almost all branches, those from transportation rose 15.8 percent between 1990 and 2022.
The bicycle as an alternative
Although transportation is a broad description, 96 percent of emissions come from our road traffic. Inland navigation accounts for 1.7 percent and rail traffic for 0.3 percent. The number of cars also continues to rise: on Aug. 1, 2023, Belgium had 6,030,700 passenger cars, up 1.4 percent from the previous year.
We are kicking in an open door when we say that the bicycle is an ecologically sound alternative to those cars. A car has CO2 emissions of up to 149 grams per passenger kilometer, an electric bicycle 3 grams and a regular bicycle none at all. That can add up.
More public space
Swapping the car for a bicycle also has a major impact on how we view our environment. In Flanders, for example, there are 25 square meters of parking per inhabitant - there are even more parking spaces than inhabitants. That number is only increasing, while we just need less paving to drain the rainwater more easily. Here and there, initiatives are even emerging to reclaim that public space and turn it into small gardens. One thing is clear: the more people exchange their cars for bicycles, the less parking space is needed.
Want to learn more about cycling's impact on the climate? Let's talk about it together!
Contact one of our employees without obligation. Then we will be happy to explain over a coffee and 2 speculoos.
The benefits of bicycle leasing!
Check out these blog articles on the other benefits of bike leasing:
💶 Financial: bike leasing is good for your wallet
🕓 Functional: less stress and faster from A-Z
🍎Health: bicycle leasing and health
