As world leaders convene next week in Belém, Brazilfor COP30, the Partnership for Active Travel and Health (PATH) Coalition will be present on the ground with a clear message: make walking and cycling central to climate commitments as a fast-track way to achieve progress on urgent climate goals.
Launching today, PATH has published the report “Walking + Cycling in the New Generation of NDCs – A Global Stocktake of Active Travel actions in the new Nationally Determined Contributions”. The report presents the analysis of the seventy-one (71) NDCs submitted until 31 October 2025, accounting for 36% of global emissions. The report evaluates the integration of walking and cycling into the NDCs, from recognition to actionable commitment. The findings provide a crucial snapshot of current ambition levels and reveal the extent to which active mobility is leveraged for climate goals, and benefits to public health, urban equity, and sustainable development.
The new NDCs demonstrate substantial, though often indirect, support for walking and cycling. Out of the 71 submissions, 59 NDCs (83%) contain content relevant to pedestrians and cyclists, whereas 27 NDCs (38%) explicitly integrate walking and cycling, and 32 NDCs (45%) advance walking and cycling indirectly through supportive measures such as improving public transport and enhancing urban environments. Furthermore, dedicated budgets for active mobility actions are found in 22 of the 27 NDCs that integrate walking and cycling explicitly (78%), and 26 of the 27 NDCs (96%) show commitment to coordinated implementation through multisectoral governance frameworks.
Cambodia stands out for a new package of actions to support walking in their NDC 3.0. Their emphasis is on prioritising walking, connecting destinations, providing networks and infrastructure, publishing design standards, and enabling equity. The new NDC has a visible budget and allocated funds, and is the only one to include a an evaluation framework for walking. Lesotho and Monaco stand out for a package of actions to support cycling in their NDC 3.0. Their emphasis is on including the provision of networks and infrastructure and establishing priority active mobility zones for cycling. Lesotho is the only country with a KPI for cycling in its NDC, whereas Kyrgyzstan, whose NDC is one of two submissions that only mentions cycling – the other being Tuvalu, is one of the leaders in evaluating cycling in their NDC 3.0.
Despite these encouraging signs of progress, at the time of writing of the report, 125 countries (accounting for 64% of global emissions) have yet to publish their NDCs.The PATH Coalition has published an open letter calling for national governments to make walking and cycling central to climate commitments. Policymakers are urged to follow PATH’s Active Travel Policy Template (2025) for a comprehensive step-by-step guide to creating an effective policy. Over 200 organisations from more than 50 countries have joined PATH’s call to date.
PATH will be at COP30, advocating for walking and cycling in climate commitments. COP30 is a critical opportunity to embed sustainable mobility into global climate action. PATH, and their supporters, urges all national governments to submit ambitious NDCs without further delay. Now is the time to scale up ambition, investments, and embed walking and cycling in climate strategies to reduce pollution, benefit public health and create vibrant, inclusive, and equitable societies.
