Want to help boycott Russian oil? Get on your bike

With corporations, cultural institutions and sporting bodies now joining political voices in condemnation of Russia, is there anything individuals can do to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine? For those of us who own cars, there is.

In 2020, the UK bought 3.9 million tonnes of crude oil from Russia – a figure that represents 11 per cent of imported crude. In the same year, we imported 4 million tonnes of petroleum products from Russia , or 16 per cent of the total. The ETA is a founder member of European transport lobby group T&E, an association that, in light of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine, is calling on European countries and their people to hasten moves away from oil dependency.

There is a correlation between the revenue Russian makes from sales of oil and its military spending. The group believes drivers deserve to know whether their petrol station is financing Putin’s war on Ukraine. There are demands for oil companies, fuel retailers and petrol stations to disclose what share of petrol and diesel sold originates from Russia, and for governments to mandate its reduction to zero.

|68 per cent of car trips are under 5 miles

In the UK, 68 per cent of car trips are under 5 miles according to research carried out by Sustrans. A good proportion of us could make these journeys quickly and easily by bicycle. In the process, we’d be taking a meaningful step towards weaning the country off oil and lessening its effect on geopolitics.

Cycling helps lessen our dependence on oil

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance, breakdown cover  and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.