India Promotes Sundays on Cycle as Climate Action at COP31

India showcased its flagship Fit India Movement as a practical, citizen-led climate solution at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31). Hosted at the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Pavilion during COP31’s Children, Youth, Education and Skills Day, the session—titled “Sundays on Cycle: From a Weekly Ride to a Way of Life”—demonstrated how weekly community rides advance Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).

The core message was straightforward: sustainable cities require more than bicycle lanes. They need active citizens who choose walking and cycling over motor vehicles for everyday trips.

Turning Weekly Rides into a Daily Climate Habit

Mayank Srivastava, Deputy Director General of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), explained that physical infrastructure alone cannot transform urban habits. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 29, 2019, the Fit India Movement connects personal fitness directly with environmental stewardship.

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya launched Fit India – Sundays on Cycle on December 22, 2024. Since then, the Sports Authority of India and its partners—including the Cycling Federation of India, MY Bharat, Navavrati Foundation, Fitspire, and the Centre for Integrative Health—have held free community rides every Sunday without interruption.

Key milestones of the movement include:

• Massive Reach: Nearly 3.7 million participants have joined rides across more than 30,000 locations nationwide.
• World Bicycle Day Record: Partnering with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the campaign drew 400,000 riders against an initial target of 100,000.
• Preventing Future Emissions: Srivastava noted that encouraging cycling in developing cities before car dependency takes root prevents transport emissions far more cheaply than removing carbon later.

UN Recognition and Global Urban Mobility Insights

Delivering the keynote address, Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu of UN Climate Change praised Fit India as a replicable global model, calling sport the “connective tissue” that unites communities around climate action. In a video message, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya emphasized that Sundays on Cycle carries the Prime Minister's fitness vision into every neighborhood.

Moderated by Fit India adviser Dr. Bhairavi Joshi, an expert panel examined how community rides reshape urban planning:

• Jim Walker (Walk21 Foundation): Highlighted Bogotá’s 50-year-old Ciclovía, where 1.6 million citizens use 125 kilometers of car-free streets every Sunday.
• Felipe A. Ramírez Buitrago (WRI Ross Center): Noted that open-street events build public support for protected cycle tracks and transit links.
• Gashaw Aberra (ITDP Africa): Shared how car-free days in Addis Ababa helped shape Ethiopia’s first non-motorized transport strategy.
• Sanjay Seth (TERI) & Maud De Vries (BYCS): Urged cities to act quickly, build obstruction-free paths, and integrate walking and cycling into official climate commitments.

Global Ride in Antalya and the 100th Edition Milestone

Fit India Executive Director Amarjyoti invited cities and partners worldwide to host at least one community-led “active morning” over the next 12 months and share results via the One Planet Network.

Joining this call immediately, the Turkish Cycling Federation partnered with Fit India to host a special COP31 ride in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 15, 2026, under the banner “India Pedals & The World Joins In!” Cyclists rode from Konyaaltı Caddesi to Işıklar, bringing the Indian Sunday movement directly to the COP31 host city—just as India celebrated its 98th edition alongside Children’s Day festivities.

Organizers also released an impact report covering the first 97 editions and announced that the landmark 100th edition of Sundays on Cycle will take place across India on November 29, 2026, accompanied by an open-source toolkit for global cities. ISA Director General Ashish Khanna noted the session drew the pavilion's largest crowd and urged stadiums and gyms worldwide to transition to solar power.

Initiative Snapshot: Fit India – Sundays on Cycle