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Velototal.de November 3, 2021
Reading time 2:05 minutes

German bicycle companies develop Bike Charter for a sustainable industry

For more than a year, a committee of six German bicycle companies developed the action plan for resource conservation, sustainability and climate protection around the products and services in the bicycle industry. On the occasion of the BIKEBRAINPOOL meeting on October 26 and 27 at Schwalbe (Ralf Bohle GmbH) in Reichshof, Germany, 22 decision makers of the bicycle industry adopted the Bike Charter for sustainable management.

BIKEBRAINPOOL entrepreneurs sign Bike Charter for more sustainability

For 25 years, the BIKEBRAIN-POOL has been the think tank of the bicycle industry. At regular meetings, decision-makers from the more than 50 member companies from the industry, the retailers, the service providers and the press discuss trends and topics within and outside the industry. The meetings are to give impetus for further development and cooperation, most of which were implemented by member companies. In addition to the pandemic-related digitalisation, the network has also initiated a substantive realignment in order to act as a player itself in the industry in the future.

HOW SUSTAINABLE IS THE BICYCLE?

The bicycle industry produces and sells a product that stands for new mobility, climate protection, liveable cities and health. With the Bike Charter, the companies therefore also want to take a close look at the sustainable production of the bicycle, from the resources via the supply chain to the companies, employees and customers, in order to take into account their social, ecological and in the end also their economic responsibility.

The Bike Charter is based on national and international legislation and presents corporate social responsibility topics as well as measures, primarily from the action fields market and environment, but also workplace and community. The adopted draft of the Bike Charter includes 18 topics around production, location, social relevance and strategic CSR management with a total of 110 specific possibilities for action.

APPEAL TO THE BICYCLE INDUSTRY

The appeal for more sustainability is directed to all BIKEBRAINPOOL companies as well as the entire bicycle industry to address one or more of these topics. What starts as a voluntary commitment by the signatory companies is to be expanded in the medium term through cooperation with the German Sustainability Code by means of a respective reporting.

22 companies of the BIKEBRAINPOOL are among the first signatories of the Bike Charter: ABUS, BIKE & CO, B.O.C., Croozer, Delius Klasing, Fellowz, Hebie, Humpert, IDBerlin, JobRad, Kienzler, Pressedienst Fahrrad, Radlager, Schwalbe, Riese & Müller, Rose Bikes, Thun, Velokonzept, VSF, Wertgarantie, WSM and Zedler.

Dirk Zedler, founder and managing director of Zedler- Institut für Fahrradtechnik und -Sicherheit, declares: “Even if the ecological footprint of the users of a product from the bicycle industry immediately becomes smaller, we do not rest on our laurels. As innovative and future-oriented companies, we want to take a role as a pioneer in all matters of sustainability and social responsibility. The Bike Charter offers all companies in the bicycle industry a perfect starting point for improving their ecological and social position step by step.”

Frank Bohle, managing director of Schwalbe and host of the meeting encouraged further companies to sign the action plan: “The Bike Charter's specific action plan reduces the complexity of a sustainable business transformation and offers companies an excellent opportunity to directly implement initial measures.”

BIKEBRAINPOOL is also in close exchange with the global initiative Shift Cycling Culture which based on the climate negotiations in Glasgow has also set itself the goal of persuading the bicycle industry of a systemic change towards more sustainability.

Author/Photo: velokonzept.de

The entire Bike Charter for download