Ecomobility expert pushes for pedal power

Warming up to bicycles

Konrad first became involved with ecomobility as head of the urban planning unit at the Federal Environmental Agency in Berlin.

It was there that his interest in inner-city cycling developed, and he managed a pilot project "Bicycle-friendly Cities" through the late seventies and early eighties. It brought government agencies, such as the Ministry of Transport, together with cyclists’ associations, automobile clubs and bicycle industry and trade representatives for the first time to discuss the best way of promoting cycling and making it accessible.

Slow road to the mainstream

"It frustrates me how long it takes for things to become mainstream," he says. "Almost 30 years ago, I was saying we should create Dutch conditions for cycling in Germany. Much of the work that is being done in sustainable mobility now is based on ideas we formed in the early eighties."

Bikes left behind

Konrad was appointed deputy secretary general for ICLEI in Freiburg in 1992, rising to secretary general in 2002. In 2007, he initiated the Global Alliance for EcoMobility.

"Last year it came to a point where climate change was at the top of the political agenda in the wake of the IPPC and Stern reports," says Konrad. "I noticed that the headlines were all about cars. No one was talking about the very simple measure of leaving the car behind and walking or cycling."

"It’s because there’s no market power in the sector," he explains. "The biggest cycling manufacturer in the world is Shimano, yet to be heard among automotive giants like Toyota, General Motors or BMW, it needs to unite with all players in the field of non-motorised transport. I wanted to address this issue by forming an alliance of industry, users, expert organisations and governmental agencies in the areas of walking and cycling; all forces in favour of ecomobility joining together."

Shimano joins alliance

Konrad visited the chairman of Shimano in Japan in February of 2007, and put forward the idea of an alliance.

"Mr. Shimano agreed immediately," he says. "ICLEI brought the organisations, and Shimano the suppliers, and we formed the nucleus that was the start of the Global Alliance for EcoMobility. I travelled the world recruiting members and not just those involved in cycling; anything that could be pushed, pulled or pedalled."

The alliance’s first meeting took place on 3 September, 2007. It focused on getting the alliance established internationally, for which members contributed financial support. The first meeting also agreed on terms of reference, a work plan and a budget.

Looking for 'beacons'

The future looks bright for the Global Alliance for EcoMobility. It is planning to recruit two staff members and is currently waiting for news of funding for a confidential pilot project in Germany to highlight a "beacon" of ecomobility practice. If successful, it is hoped that a series of similar projects can be rolled out across the globe, as exemplars of good mobility practice. But there are challenges involved.

"One of the principal difficulties is financial," Konrad explains. "The CEOs of the larger companies involved in the alliance want much more to be done, and have asked that the scope of our activity be significantly increased, which obviously requires much greater sums of money. However, the smaller organisations involved will struggle to increase their contributions, so this is an area we need to look into."

You've got the power

Ultimately, Konrad believes that the power to address climate change lies with individuals.

"Carbon reduction can’t wait," he says. "The sooner we start reducing carbon emissions, the better, and everyone can contribute to that. We can all make positive changes without waiting for governments to tell us what to do. The alliance will bring together those in favour of cycling, walking, any method of transport that doesn’t create carbon emissions, and united, we will have a stronger voice."