Vanuatu has achieved a remarkable diplomatic victory on the world stage. Through its leadership at the United Nations General Assembly and international courts, it has helped advance the principle that states have responsibilities for climate change and obligations to protect present and future generations.
This is visionary leadership. It is leadership that looks beyond today’s challenges and seeks justice for tomorrow’s citizens.
Now comes the next step: turning climate justice into practical action.
Walking – and cycling – the Talk
Recent global events have reminded us how vulnerable countries remain to fossil fuel dependency. Conflicts affecting major energy supply routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, have disrupted fuel markets and increased costs across the world. Rich and poor countries alike have felt the consequences.
Those that have invested in clean energy and sustainable transport systems are generally more resilient. They are less exposed to fuel price shocks and geopolitical instability.
The transport sector offers one of the greatest opportunities for change.
Individuals are already making choices. More people are purchasing electric vehicles and seeking alternatives to fossil fuels. However, governments also have a critical role to play by investing in infrastructure that supports sustainable mobility.
Yet electric cars alone will not solve traffic congestion, improve public health, or create more livable communities.
The Hidden Cost of Car-Centred Development
Following recent global crises, many governments responded to rising fuel prices through subsidies, tax reductions, or support to transport operators. While these measures provided short-term relief, they often reinforced the assumption that fossil fuel dependency must continue.
At the same time, much public and donor-funded infrastructure remains overwhelmingly focused on cars. Ignoring the majority of the People and the Youth.
Even if every vehicle became electric, traffic jams would remain. Urban space would still be dominated by roads and parking. Green areas would continue to be sacrificed. People would still spend hours sitting in traffic rather than moving their bodies.
The challenge is not only the type of vehicle we use. It is the way we design our communities.
Across the Pacific, non-communicable diseases are among the leading public health challenges. Yet modern lifestyles increasingly encourage inactivity. Many people drive to work, drive to the shops, and even drive to the gym to exercise indoors.
In a country blessed with natural beauty, clean air, and year-round outdoor conditions, there must be a better way.
A Vision for Active Mobility
Future infrastructure development should place people, wellbeing, and nature at its centre.
When governments invest in road maintenance or new roads, they should ask a simple question:
Who are the road users?
Roads are not used only by cars. They are also used by pedestrians, wheelchair users, cyclists, children walking to school, and communities interacting with their environment.
Good planning considers everyone. Even Nature and animals that may be negatively affected by roads.
Investing exclusively in car-centred infrastructure creates a cycle of dependency. More roads encourage more vehicles. More vehicles require more parking. More parking consumes valuable urban space. Green areas disappear, temperatures rise, air quality declines, and communities become less healthy.
Many countries have recognised these challenges and have invested in active mobility infrastructure that encourages walking, cycling, and inclusive access for all.
The benefits are substantial:
Improved public health and wellbeing.
Reduced healthcare costs.
Better air quality.
More efficient use of urban space.
Greater resilience to fuel price shocks.
Increased life expectancy.
Stronger community connections.
Why Bicycles Matter
Bicycles are one of the most affordable, efficient, and sustainable forms of transport ever created.
They require little space, produce no emissions, improve physical health, and are accessible to a large proportion of the population.
Safe cycling infrastructure can enable children to travel to school, workers to commute, and families to access services without depending entirely on motor vehicles.
Around the world, innovative solutions such as bicycle trains—groups of cyclists travelling together with support from traffic authorities—have demonstrated how cycling can become a practical commuting option. E-cargo bicycles are increasingly used by families to transport children and goods safely and efficiently.
These solutions are not luxuries. They are investments in healthier and more resilient communities.
Building Better After Disasters
Vanuatu regularly faces cyclones, earthquakes, flooding, and other climate-related challenges. Recovery and reconstruction have become familiar processes.
But recovery should not mean simply rebuilding what existed before.
Every reconstruction project presents an opportunity to build better.
If roads are being repaired, upgraded, or rebuilt, active mobility infrastructure should be considered from the beginning. Retrofitting footpaths, cycle lanes, crossings, and accessibility features decades later is far more expensive than incorporating them into the original design.
True climate resilience requires long-term thinking.
Bicycles have a lot to contribute to Vanuatu and the National Development Sustainable Plan.
From Climate Justice to Climate Leadership
Vanuatu has shown remarkable leadership in advocating for climate justice internationally. The country has challenged the world to recognise its responsibility to future generations.
World Bicycle Day offers an opportunity to apply that same vision at home.
Climate justice is not only about international negotiations. It is also about the choices we make in our communities, our infrastructure, and our daily lives.
If we genuinely believe in protecting future generations, then we must create towns and cities that are healthier, safer, greener, and less dependent on fossil fuels.
The bicycle is not merely a vehicle.
It is a symbol of a future where development serves people, protects nature, and strengthens resilience.
As we rebuild and invest in Vanuatu’s future, let us ensure that “building better” is more than a slogan.
Let us build it properly now—not in 2050.
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