(ORDO NEWS) — Global carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 686 million tons per year if every inhabitant of the Earth traveled at least three kilometers a day by bicycle, not by car. This is already done by residents of the Netherlands, according to the University of Southern Denmark.
686 million tonnes is more than the UK‘s total carbon emissions in 2015. The researchers based their calculations on a global estimate of the production, ownership and use of bicycles across 60 countries from 1962 to 2015.
In addition, they found a negative correlation between the number of cyclists in a country and adult obesity.
Therefore, switching to two-wheeled transport can bring health benefits. According to experts, with the help of regular bike rides, from 0.34 to 0.62 million deaths can be prevented worldwide.
The transport sector accounts for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, with half coming from private vehicles. At the same time, world production of bicycles is growing faster than cars.
In 2015, China accounted for 65.7% of global bike production. It is followed by Brazil, India, Italy and Germany – each country accounts for 5% to 2%. These countries have high levels of cycling and low death rates as a result of well-developed cycling infrastructure.
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