ADFC awards the 150th Cycle-Friendly Employer certification in Germany

August 30, 2021 |

The Cycle-Friendly Employer Certification is booming in Germany. The scheme is devised to encourage European companies to make cycling more accessible to their employees. This will in turn make for healthier and more productive employees and reduce the impact of commuting on the environment.

Since the implementation of the Cycle-Friendly Employer (CFE) Certification Framework, European Cyclists' Federation (ECF) Member Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club (ADFC) has certified 150 companies, with over 190,000 employees, as bicycle friendly around Germany. This is part of an ongoing commitment that started in March 2017, when the CFE Consortium was launched to help European companies improve conditions for employees that cycle to work.

The 150 certified entities represent a variety of sectors; from banks and insurance companies to housing associations, public utilities, hospitals, industry, and many smaller high-tech companies as well. “Many companies have set themselves sustainability and climate protection goals,” said Sara Tsudome, ADFC Project Manager of the Cycle-Friendly Employer. “The bicycle is simply popular as an environmentally friendly and healthy means of transport. For many professionals, a nimble bicycle or pedelec is more important than a car that is stuck in a traffic jam. Modern employers recognised this change in mobility behaviour early on and use the cycle-friendly seal of approval to attract and retain good people."

From the very beginning, the demand for the CFE Certification was high among German companies but since the outbreak of the pandemic “companies have almost been beating down our doors,” said Tsudome.

The number of people that commute to work by bicycle throughout Germany has increased drastically over the past years. While in 2002 only 9% of journeys to work were made by bike, in 2017 this figure had already risen to 13%. According to estimates by ADFC, this share could be more than doubled by 2030 through the provision of cycle expressways, continuous cycle path networks and convenient bicycle parking garages.

Based on original article here