Since its launch in 2008, the UNEP Share the Road Initiative has provided global leadership and support for the needs of people that walk and cycle. For more than a decade the programme has advocated and collaborated for systematic investment in walking and cycling as one of the key solutions to ensuring urban accessibility, improving road safety and addressing the environmental challenges related to mobility.
In 2020, amidst the pandemic, Share the Road continued to work towards achieving more resilient, accessible and equitable mobility systems in the Global South. The Programme’s research and activities have confirmed that promoting systematic investment in walking and cycling infrastructure and strengthening the capacity to prioritise and advocate for the needs of people that walk and cycle is fundamental to ensuring a green recovery from COVID-19.
As stated by Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, “integrated urban spaces which encourage walking & cycling as a form of mobility are a big part of a healthy future for all.” Walking and cycling prioritisation is central to enabling near-and mid-term results for improved mobility access and planetary health; as well as long-term pathways for healthier, zero carbon futures. That is why the Share the Road Programme continues to work towards achieving a world where the needs of pedestrians and cyclists are prioritised and people can walk and cycle safely and comfortably anywhere.
