ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Empowering young cyclists for a greener future

The Lisbon Municipal Programme of Bike Trains is an innovative initiative aimed at promoting sustainable school commuting. By creating a structured, bicycle-based transport system for children, the programme encourages young people to adopt cycling as a regular mode of transport. The project operates under the leadership of Lisbon municipality, with volunteers from local communities providing essential support. 

On the move 
This unique project involves children riding bicycles to school along set routes, accompanied by trained monitors. Similar to a train service, the programme follows timetables and ensures safety with mandatory registration. The Bike Train concept helps children become more independent while fostering environmental awareness and promoting active, sustainable mobility. 

Targeting the next generation of cyclists
Focusing on children and young people aged 5 to 14, the programme aims to give them the tools to use bicycles safely in urban environments. Beyond reducing car use, the Bike Train enhances children’s autonomy, boosts self-esteem, and raises awareness about the environmental benefits of cycling. With 15 school groups and 18 bike train lines, the project continues to grow in Lisbon. The Lisbon Bike Train initiative has been recognised by the WHO as a good health practice and is being replicated in other municipalities in Portugal and the project remains a model for sustainable urban mobility and youth independence. 

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ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Empowering new Cyclists for a Greener Future 

Bike Buddy, an initiative by the Bike Urban Mobility Association (MUBi), aims to make cycling a common mode of transport in urban areas. The project offers free mentoring services, where experienced cyclists guide newcomers on their first rides. Through this service, Bike Buddy encourages safe and convenient cycling in the city, promoting a shift towards sustainable mobility. 

Mentoring new cyclists for safe city rides 
Bike Buddy pairs new cyclists with experienced volunteers, known as “Bike Buddies,” who accompany them on their initial cycling journeys. Volunteers provide essential guidance on routes, safety, equipment, and cycling laws, helping newcomers build confidence in their cycling abilities. The programme supports the transition from car use to cycling by offering practical, hands-on advice. 

Targeting everyone, one pedal at a time 
The Bike Buddy project targets all new cyclists, regardless of age or background, helping them embrace cycling as an everyday mode of transport. By making cycling more accessible and less intimidating, the initiative aims to increase the number of cyclists in urban areas, thereby reducing car usage and traffic congestion while improving the environment.

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ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Urban Bikes – A Green Solution for Torres Vedras 

Agostinhas: Urban Bikes is an innovative initiative aimed at promoting sustainable mobility in the city of Torres Vedras, Portugal. The project, launched in June 2013, offers free bicycle rentals to all residents, with a special focus on young people and seniors. The programme is managed by the municipal company Promotorres and is part of a broader effort to reduce car dependency and environmental impact. 

Easy, eco-friendly transport for all 
The goal of the project is to provide an accessible, sustainable mode of transport that promotes speed, flexibility, and reduced environmental impact. The bikes are free for residents aged 14 and above enrolled in local schools and for seniors over 55 involved in the Municipal Senior Sports Project. Frequent users can purchase a 10-Euro card, while occasional users pay just 5 Euros for a one-year subscription. The bikes are available from 7 am to 10 pm. 

Targeting accessibility and inclusivity 
The programme prioritises accessibility for young people and seniors while being open to all city residents. By offering a free and environmentally friendly transportation option, the initiative contributes to reducing fossil fuel consumption and lowering atmospheric emissions. Additionally, it fosters a sense of local identity and strengthens the community’s connection to sustainable urban mobility. 

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The impact of climate change and the capacity to mitigate its negative impacts are unevenly distributed across and within societies; it is the poorer, marginalised and vulnerable groups who are the most acutely affected. ACCTING has collected 358 narratives via individual interviews in 13 European countries to capture some of the experiences of those vulnerable groups. These narratives on inequalities in enablers and hindrances for advancing behavioural change span eight thematic research lines – each addressing an EU Green Deal policy area. Read our dataset including all 358 narratives collected.

Daily bike trains to school were the triggering event to develop a new kind of mobility 

“My name is Alexandre, I am married and I am 40 years old. I was born in Porto and I have been living in Lisbon for some years now. I work in technology. I have two daughters. One is 8 years old and the other is 3 years old. As a child, while living in Porto, I used to cycle until I was 16. I cycled a lot and I even went to school by bike a lot. The school was very close, and I would normally walk there, but I would also cycle a lot with my friends. Then, I bought a motorbike at the age of 16, so the bicycle became less important for me. I am a sportsman and I like physical activity very much. I have always done physical exercise, namely running, playing football, and going for walks. My daughter who is 6 years old is also encouraged by us to do exercise. We walk a lot and she also keeps me company by running. I have also been very concerned about ecology from a very young age. I have environmental concerns and I always wanted to give my children a new vision of how to get around. It is very different going to school by car, instead of walking, for example. If they walk or cycle, they see things differently.

“It is true that the pandemic has changed our way of seeing things a little bit. I am a big believer that our experiences will lead us to make different decisions”

With the outbreak of the pandemic, I thought of buying a bicycle so that I could move around. I have to use a car for my work. So, I bought a bicycle to spend some time and I started to move around by bicycle. When I was dropping my daughter off at school, I would always see a group of bicycles and it made me wonder why I was always stuck in traffic. Then, one day, I remembered to go by bike to pick up my daughter from school and I took her bike too. We both went home by bike. We go from Ajuda to Restelo. It is still about 15 or 20 minutes. We did this once or twice, and in the meantime we met the other participants of the Restelo bicycle train. It was at that time that this change to using a bicycle began. But we do not only cycle, we also walk with the children to school several times a week. I think we have started to develop a new kind of mobility. My daughter, who is now 8 years old, goes to school on her bicycle, and because we offer alternatives to the car, she is already looking at mobility in a different way. Our youngest daughter also goes with us. We use a smaller car seat to transport her. This change is not exactly related to the outbreak of the pandemic, because if I had met these colleagues from the bicycle group before, I think I would have started then. Even at my work, we were already teleworking and video conferencing before the pandemic. So, I did not feel affected. The only difference I felt was that I travelled less often. We do face-to-face meetings less and less. We are all used to working remotely by now. When we see that there is a need to maintain face-to-face contact, maybe we try to have that, but we are working remotely more and more. As for my commute, I wake up around 7am and leave around 8am. We get on our bicycles and take the children to school, which is in Restelo. We often ride together on the bicycle train. We meet up with other people along the way and the bike train gets bigger with more children. After dropping my daughter off at school, I return to the Ajuda area to bring my youngest daughter to school too. Then, I cycle to the docks area where our office is. This office was chosen so that I could keep this green mobility. I could have some benefits from having an office in a more central part of town. It would be easier for me to commute and be with clients. Here, I sometimes have to use the car, but I rarely do. Then, at the end of the day, I go back to the Restelo area to pick up my eldest daughter. I go home, leave my bicycle there, and pick up my youngest daughter on foot. 

“If I have to move to another office, I will try to stick with the possibility of using bicycle, it will be a condition”

Regarding shopping, we choose to buy locally. We live in an area where there is a lot of retail. Sometimes we go to a bigger supermarket because it is relatively close, but traditionally we try to shop locally, right there on our street. When we need to buy a larger quantity of products, or heavier products, we use the car. During the weekend, we use the bicycle to go out, or to go to a museum, or to take the children for a ride by the river. In the past, we used to walk more. Today, we cycle more often. The four of us go on bike picnics. We use the bicycle a lot more now. But it is not possible to do everything by bicycle or on foot. My wife has to take our eldest daughter to other places. For that reason and others, we still keep the car with us. For example, if it is raining a lot, we use the car to take the children. I think cycling has many advantages and is very beneficial in many ways. Cycling becomes a faster way of getting around for me. Riding a bicycle is also more enjoyable, in my opinion. Furthermore, cycling is more economical. Regarding the pandemic, we spent more time at home during the lockdown. We were working more at home, and we did not commute by car as much. I was working in the city centre at the time, and I was driving every day. As I stopped commuting, I started to have other experiences. On the one hand, not being in traffic was a very good thing: The truth is that today I have much less patience when I have to get in the car. For example, it is much more difficult to know that I have to go to a certain place by car, I know I am not going to like it.

“If I can, I will try to reduce our ecological footprint. Nowadays, I think a lot before I use the car to commute”

Regarding aspects to be improved, perhaps public transport could be better in terms of supply. Just yesterday we took the tram to Alcântara, and went to the library with the children, and then we waited almost 40 minutes for the tram back. We gave up waiting for the tram. We caught another tram, and then we walked home. So, if public transport were more efficient, maybe people would use it more. If transport was free, cleaner and more frequent, maybe people would use it more.”

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Photo: Elias Morr on Unsplash

ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected by Maria Lucinda Fonseca; Jennifer McGarrigle; Daniela Ferreira; Alina Esteves; Nuno Marques da Costa; Patrícia Abrantes; Luís Moreno; Marcelo Fragoso and João Vasconcelos within ACCTING’s mapping of inspiring practice cases, within the Biodiversity Research Line. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Terras de Cascais, Portugal

A new life for natural spaces  

Terras de Cascais is a Portuguese citizens-led initiative that started in 2009 aiming to raise awareness about vegetable gardens and land use in an urban context based on organic farming.  

The idea gained a lot of interest and attention until the project extended its support to encourage the production and consumption of fresh local, organic and seasonal products. Some participants were involved as they wanted to grow their food, reduce money and/or return to their roots. To further promote the concept, the “Banco de Terras” (land bank) has been developed; a platform gathering a community of citizens interested in this topic, disseminating information about private land available for cultivation, thus promoting soil regeneration and counteracting land neglect.  

A project for the minorities 

The project focuses on imprisoned women and it is a collaboration with the Black Feminist Project and its “Black Joy Farm” and “Community Food Box” activities in the USA working with transgender women and men, cisgender women and men, and agender-bigender-two–spirit people. As highlighted on their website: “We have evolved a lot as a community, but there is still a lot of land to be cultivated and many residents willing to go back to their roots and produce their food.” 

Find out more here.

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