In 2023, the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships (2023 UCI Cycling Worlds) will bring together 13 world championships from different cycling disciplines for the first time in one unprecedented event. It is set to be the biggest cycling event ever to take place in the world.
The vision for the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds is that it will be ‘a catalyst for change across Scotland from 2019 to 2027’, supporting the development of world-class cycling through the Championships itself – but also supporting the Cycling Industry, Cycling Tourism, Cycling Participation, and Cycling as Transport.
As part of ongoing work on sustainability, the UCI World Championships hosted an event within the Scottish Government’s COP26 programme at the Lighthouse in Glasgow on the afternoon of Wednesday 10th November 2021. The event announced a collective sustainability ambition for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, that will contribute to local and global sustainable development and is aligned with the objective of "building a better world through sport".
The introductory phase of the event saw a presentation from Trudy Lindblade, the CEO of 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, and subsequently a keynote speech from Maree Todd MSP, the Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport. Following on from these speeches, a panel discussion focussing on ‘The Power of Sport for Sustainable Development’ took place, with Peter Crowson, a member of the Scottish Cycling Young People’s Panel, sharing his expertise as part of the panel.
The Panel
- Orla Chennaoui (Host), Journalist and Presenter - The Cycling Podcast and Eurosport
- Maree Todd, Minister For Public Health, Women’s Health
- Enrico Della Casa, Vice President of UCI.
- Hannah Dines, 2016 Paralympic Cyclist, sports pundit and writer.
- Dan Reading, Head Of Sustainability at Right Formula.
- Peter Crowson, Young Peoples Panel at Scottish Cycling
- Nick Chamberlin, Policy Manager at British Cycling
Key Topics:
- Can sport and sporting events really be a catalyst for change?
- Various sporting events and sports stars have been a positive catalyst for change. Is cycling in a position to do the same?
- How can cycling contribute to sustainable development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
- What are the barriers to making cycling a priority for sustainable development?
- How can host regions and communities maximise the sustainable development benefits of hosting international cycling events?
- How can international cycling events raise awareness (or help educate local communities) of cycling's potential for taking action on climate change, air pollution and improving people's health/well-being? How can businesses and communities get involved?
- How can the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships help set the pace of climate action for businesses throughout Scotland in support of the transition to a low carbon economy and 2045 Net-Zero target?
After the event had taken place, we took the opportunity to catch up with Peter and find out all about his experience as part of the panel.
As this was Peter’s first experience speaking as part of a panel, he was naturally quite nervous prior to going on stage. However, Peter outlined that he knew how important this event was as we work to create a sustainable future for cycling, and he was keen to share his knowledge and expertise as an advocate for young people and a representative of Scottish Cycling. Peter shared how much he valued the opportunity to listen to the experiences and knowledge of other panellists, and appreciated the chance to expand his network and deepen his understanding of the landscape of sustainable sport. In particular, he was inspired by the contribution of Hannah Dines, which enabled him to consider issues in cycling that he hadn’t previously faced in great detail. All in all, Peter’s experience as part of this panel discussion reinforced his passion for working to make cycling more accessible to all, and highlighted the role that sport can play in supporting sustainable development – particularly with regards the contributions sport can make to the empowerment of women, young people and communities as well as to health, education and social inclusion.
If you would like to learn more about the information shared during this event, you can watch a short clip of the day here, and we will share the full video when it becomes available. Everyone at Scottish Cycling thanks Peter for his contribution to the panel discussion, and we look forward to seeing what he and the other members of the Young People’s Panel can accomplish during their time volunteering with our organisation.
If you would like to get in touch with the Young People’s Panel team, we would love to hear from you via youngpeople@scottishcycling.org.uk.
