The best time to act is now: Insights and inspiration at the first Cycle4Climate Forum
City representatives, researchers and other experts came together at the first Cycle4Climate Forum to discuss sustainable mobility and cycling promotion at Alberga Manor in Espoo on March 19–20th, 2025. The two-day programme featured inspiring keynote talks, a panel discussion, engaging workshop sessions, and an exhibition of student work on the theme.
Transport is a significant source of CO₂ emissions in cities. The Cycle4Climate project—a collaboration between cities and universities around the Baltic Sea—aims to reduce urban transport emissions by promoting everyday cycling. Cities involved in the project address the challenge through urban intervention pilots designed to influence mobility behaviour. The international forum event demonstrated a strong interest in sustainable mobility. Across the two days, participants engaged actively with the topic from various perspectives.
The nudging power of seeing people like yourself cycle
Mari Päätalo from the City of Espoo’s Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development delivered opening remarks outlining the current state of cycling development in Espoo. Sanna Ojajärvi (Finnish Network of Cycling Municipalities) and Timo Perälä (Winter Cycling Federation) delivered keynotes exploring ways to influence mobility behaviour. On the second event day, Henrikki Tenkanen (Aalto University) introduced the possibilities of using data to plan future mobility.
Photo: Tereza Dickson, City of Espoo
Photo: Tereza Dickson, City of Espoo
“Nudging works when all levels—public policy–community–organisational–interpersonal–individual—are working towards the same direction,” summarised Executive Director Sanna Ojajärvi of the Finnish Cycling Municipalities Network, “The social aspect is powerful, seeing people like yourself cycle, maybe even throughout the year, can help with the first steps of making it a habit for yourself, too”.
“When aiming to change behaviour, you need to go to the source of the problem, blaster solutions will not work. Collaborate and find out who is the one who needs to see the light to gain most impact. Act upon that,” guided the President Timo Perälä of the Winter Cycling Federation. “More data is needed, and more events like this to accumulate the understanding between disciplines and professions of how to shift behaviours,” he concluded.
“Through Cycle4Climate, I hope we can inspire people who live, work and visit Espoo to choose more sustainable ways of getting around”
“I was proud to present cycling development work done in Espoo as part of the Carbon Neutral Espoo roadmap. While Espoo has a solid cycling infrastructure, room to improve exists, and that work is ongoing. We also took a small group bike ride—a great opportunity to experience safe and smooth cycling routes in Espoo. Through Cycle4Climate, I hope we can inspire people who live, work and visit Espoo to choose more sustainable ways of getting around,” reflected Development Manager Mari Päätalo from the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, City of Espoo, after the event.
Find your benefit—what’s in it for me?
Bridging ideas to practice continued in a panel discussion with Martti Tulenheimo (Finnish Cyclists’ Federation), Emīls Rode (Riga Technical University, Interreg CB Cycle4Climate), Simo Syrman (City of Porvoo, Interreg BSR BATS) and Mari Päätalo (City of Espoo):
“Communication is key, but on its own, not enough to drive the change,” noted the panellists. When planning interventions that aim to alter behaviours, we need to ask: “What’s in it for me?” on behalf of every stakeholder group targeted; find the benefit, then build around that.
Changing behaviour always requires managing the feeling of being outside one’s comfort zone—how can we make this easier and help find agency in a new situation?
The path towards lasting impacts starts by setting realistic goals, both for the people taking on cycling and for cycling promotion initiatives. “It’s like shifting gears,” the panellists concluded. “The best time to act is now—take a push on the pedal, then the next, and you are on your way—it’s ok to start by something small.”
Peer learning to identify opportunities and amplify the effectiveness
During the workshop sessions, the participants exchanged insights and experiences in cycling promotion and co-created ideas for advancing sustainable urban mobility. The first day focused on the challenges and opportunities faced by the Cycle4Climate partner cities Espoo, Gävle, Pärnu, and Riga, providing valuable development ideas for the project’s upcoming interventions.
Inspired by the keynote by Assistant Professor Henrikki Tenkanen from Aalto University GIST Lab on the second event day, the groups developed shared visions for sustainable mobility in 2030, engaging participants in linking future-oriented thinking to change-making through backcasting.
Workshops gave participants Space to explore future-oriented thinking together. Photos: Tereza Dickson, City of Espoo
“Participation is a powerful source of creativity. When different voices, experiences, knowledge and perspectives meet, new insights, innovations, and creative solutions can emerge that wouldn’t be found alone. In Cycle4Climate, this takes shape through hands-on urban pilots in four cities—guided by expertise, everyday experience, and a shared vision for more vibrant urban life”, reflected Anna-Stina Tähkävuori, Innovation Director at the Smart and Creative City innovation hub of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
“Collaboration with Baltic Sea region partners offers a great opportunity to learn from different urban contexts and combine diverse expertise to support more sustainable urban mobility”
“In Metropolia, the Cycle4Climate project connects to our newly-formed research and development programme, Design for Regenerative Cities, which draws together diverse fields of expertise to apply creative design approaches for revitalising environments and communities. Collaboration with Baltic Sea region partners offers us a great opportunity to learn from different urban contexts and combine diverse expertise to support more sustainable urban mobility,” she continued.
Karl Samuelsson, Cycle4Climate Project Lead from the University of Gävle (on the left), and Age Poom, Associate Professor at the University of Tartu (right), opened the 2nd event day together. Photo: Tereza Dickson, City of Espoo
The Cycle4Climate project partnership includes four cities and four universities: lead partner University of Gävle, the organisers of the first Forum event Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and the City of Espoo, as well as the University of Tartu, Riga Technical University, and the cities of Gävle, Pärnu and Riga.
The next Cycle4Climate Forum will be organised in Riga during European Mobility Week 2025 with a focus on cycling cultures—a warm welcome to join us there!
