MRV of cycling: Measuring the carbon impact of bicycle policy and infrastructure

Climate Focus makes a strong case for the allocation of international finance to promote the use of bicycles for urban transport. Cycling provides a solution to urgent issues like urban air quality, and traffic congestion while also providing physical exercise and associated health benefits. An increasing number of municipalities in developing counties are recognizing the opportunity that cycling offers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also improving the quality of life in cities. This article for UNDP on measuring, reporting and verification (MRV) of the climate benefits of cycling, identifies cycling trends, presents key arguments in favour of cycling, discusses typical barriers and explains which MRV approaches and tools are available to policymakers to both forecast and evaluate the climate impact of cycling.