Anne Bedos

The challenge

Climate change is the greatest environmental issue of our time. Our cities are the main driving force in the global economy. Yet the creation of wealth has its price as almost 80% of all CO2 emissions are generated from urban activities, which make cities the biggest contributors to global warming.

The vision

Rothar’s vision is to transform the urban environment in terms of how we live, consume and commute. Rothar combines environmental awareness with a desire for real social inclusion via a medium - the bicycle - which is a very promising transportation solution to our congested city. Rothar refurbishes abandoned bicycles, reducing the amount of old bicycles going to landfill. Rothar trains and employs people who are long term unemployed as bike mechanics in their shops. Rothar aims to break isolation by providing a cheap mode of transport, by providing the possibility to gain skills to repair bicycles and access to workstations and tools, and by developing an ecofriendly mentality that would go against the “throwawayism” that still prevails in Ireland. Funding from the Arthur Guinness Fund will see an acceleration of their growth in Ireland, with additional shops and services.

Website: www.rothar.ie