Citizens of Celle cycled over 880,000 kilometers for climate protection!

Citizens of Celle cycled over 880,000 kilometers for climate protection!

In the Celle district, citizens once again pedaled vigorously during this year's CITY CYCLING campaign. From May 1st to 25th, 2025, the 4,904 active participants in 256 teams cycled an impressive 881,445 kilometers. This impressive route is more than 22 times the circumference of the earth and impressively shows how strong the interest in cycling is in the region. The participants completed over 83,000 trips and saved around 145 tons of CO₂ Celle press reported.

The CITY CYCLING campaign, organized by the Climate Alliance, aims to promote cycling and replace car journeys with bicycles as an environmentally friendly alternative. This year, however, there was no district-wide kick-off event or rally like last year. Instead, the participating municipalities organized their own activities to motivate citizens to cycle. The increasing popularity of cycling could also be a response to the challenges of pollution and climate change. Cycling traffic in metropolitan areas is increasingly shifting, with the possibility that up to 30% of car trips will be shifted to bicycles, like this Federal Environment Agency appreciates.

Top teams and honors

Among the participating teams, the Kaiserin-Auguste-Viktoria-Gymnasium stands out, having covered the most kilometers with 71,646 kilometers. This is followed by the Ernestinum high school with 69,973 kilometers and the Hermannsburg Christian high school, which cycled 42,054 kilometers. The award ceremony will take place on August 23, 2025 as part of the community festival in Hambühren. The Westkreisgymnasium is looking forward to numerous visitors who want to recognize the achievements of the cyclists.

The Celle district has already been able to look back on successes in the past. In 2024, he was named “Best Newcomer” in his resident category for, among other things, his 881,351 kilometers cycled and his 198 teams. The local parliament also received the title of “most bicycle-active local parliament”. Such successes show how important sustainable mobility is in the region and how it is actively promoted in order to increase the proportion of cycling.

Health and environment in focus

But the focus is not just on the kilometer-long routes and CO₂ savings. The health benefits of cycling should not be underestimated: Studies show that regular cycling can reduce the risk of lifestyle diseases and increase life expectancy by up to 14 months. In addition, a commuter who regularly cycles 5 kilometers to work can save around 365 kg of CO₂ emissions annually.

These positive effects make cycling not only an environmentally friendly but also a health-promoting form of transport. Experts recommend that cycling should be significantly promoted, especially in urban areas, in order to increase the quality of life and lifespan of citizens while at the same time conserving valuable environmental resources.

Thanks to the initiative of municipalities and the numerous committed cyclists, the Celle district is increasingly becoming a pioneer in sustainable mobility. Another step in the right direction is certainly the possibility for schools, clubs and companies to form their own teams in order to further promote the sense of community and the joy of cycling.