Mobike Receives 2017 Champion of the Earth Award from United Nations for Contribution to Low Carbon Transport

(Source: Mobike)

Today Mobike has been named among the 2017 Champions of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in recognition of their transformative contribution to the advancement of low carbon public transport.

The award was accepted by mobike Founder and President Ms. Hu Weiwei at an awards ceremony held in Nairobi, Kenya during the third annual UN Environment Assembly.

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP IN ECO MOBILITY

The Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour; it celebrates outstanding figures from the public and private sectors alongside individuals of note whose actions have had a transformative and positive impact on the environment.

The award is now in it’s 14th year and it’s 80 recipients to date range from leaders of nations to grassroots activists - divided into categories of policy, science, business and civil society.

Mobike is receiving the award in the Entrepreneurial Vision category, in recognition of achievements in applying an innovative business model to improve urban eco-mobility while actively addressing the challenge of urban air pollution and reducing carbon emissions.

On Receiving the Award Hu WeiWei said:

“When we first started Mobike, our goal was to change cities by making bikes available to everyone. The humble bicycle can not only change people and cities, but can also help change the world -- both as a universal symbol of peace, and as a weapon in the fight against climate change,”

“Indeed, we believe that innovation, technology, and public participation are essential to meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. That is why we would like to invite governments, NGO’s, cities, communities and businesses to join us at Mobike - together with the United Nations - to embrace bike-sharing, and create a pedal-powered green economy for the future.”

Mobike helped start the UN Environment Assembly on Sunday by supporting the ‘Race to Beat Pollution’ bike ride in Nairobi city centre.

While attending the Third Annual UN Environment Assembly, Hu Weiwei also took part in a series of dialogues with UN, business and NGO leaders on practical solutions towards a pollution-free planet.

The participation comes as part of an ongoing partnership with UN Environment through a mutual commitment to #BeatPollution.

A PEDAL-POWERED GREEN ECONOMY FOR THE FUTURE

Since launching 19 months ago 200 million Mobikers worldwide have collectively cycled over 18.2 billion kilometers, equivalent to reducing CO2 emissions by more than 4.4 million tons, or taking 1.24 million cars off the road for a year.

The reason for the huge environmental impact of Mobike is obvious; more bicycles mean less cars on the road.

In early 2017, Mobike published its first bike-sharing industry white paper with Tsinghua University and the Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Design & Research Institute. It displayed that in China bikesharing has helped double the rate of cycling, which now accounts for 11.6% of total transportation versus just 5.5% twelve months earlier.

By bringing bikes back to cities in China, and now in 11 more countries around the world, cycling is truly changing cities and is transforming how they work.