Inside the push to clean up one of Africa’s most-polluted transit routes
The Northern Corridor connects several landlocked East African countries to the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. Photo by AFP
The strategy aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, by 10 percent. In 2018, vehicles along the corridor produced more than 1.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
“Achieving the objectives of the Green Freight Strategy 2030 not only aligns with the Paris Agreement targets but also ensures the corridor’s freight system remains robust and adaptable in the face of a changing planet,” says Omae Nyarandi, Executive Secretary of the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority.
Globally, the transport sector is responsible for 15 percent of emissions of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas that is driving climate change. The industry’s emissions are growing faster than any other sector and are set to double by 2050, largely on the back of increases in the Global South.
Reining in transport emissions is considered key to countering fast-rising global temperatures, which have spent the last year shattering records. Switching to electric vehicles, promoting wider use of public transportation, and better designing cities to require less travel, among other policies, could reduce transportation emissions by more than 50 percent, finds UNEP.
The Northern Corridor green freight strategy recommends countries introduce fuel efficiency standards, discourage the import of older, inefficient trucks, invest in cleaner modes of transport, like railways, explore electric vehicles, and leverage technology to improve the fuel efficiency of trucks.
It also calls for 2,000 drivers to be trained on how to haul freight more efficiently. An analysis found a long-haul trucker driving 2,500 kilometers a month could save up to 30,000 Kenyan shillings (US$230) in fuel costs by driving more efficiently.
“[That] will improve the lives of drivers financially, allowing them to better support their families,” says Newton Wang’oo, Director of One-to-One Logistics Kenya, which provides transport solutions along the corridor.
In June 2024, ministers from the corridor’s six countries called for the implementation of the 2030 strategy to be fast-tracked. Meanwhile, nations aim to harden 2,000 kilometers of roads against the impacts of climate change, including floods.
Countries along the corridor have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector, including in freight, through their nationally determined contributions, a series of climate-related pledges. A new round of these contributions is due in 2025.
“These commitments must translate into robust laws and regulations that will change incentives for the transport industry,” says Aggarwal-Khan.
The greening of the Northern Corridor, she adds, must be part of a larger effort to counter climate change and reduce air pollution, which is linked to 1.1 million deaths annually in Africa.
Truck drivers, like Moses Radier, have high hopes for the greening of the corridor. “Transport owners will save money, pollution will decrease, our health will improve and we will have a safer working environment,” he says.
The International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies held annually on 7 September and facilitated by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), raises awareness about the importance of clean air for health, productivity, the economy, and the environment. This year’s theme “Invest in #CleanAirNow” underscores the economic, environmental, and health benefits of investing in clean air.
UNEP’s Clean Fuels and Vehicles Programme
The programme collaborates with both public and private entities to support the transition to low-carbon road transport. To achieve this, it advocates for vehicle emission standards and encourages the uptake of cleaner technologies. From 25-26 March 2024, UNEP and the Ministry of Works and Transport of Uganda hosted a two-day workshop to disseminate the Northern Corridor Green Freight Strategy 2030 and explore opportunities for greener freight.
UNEP is at the forefront of supporting the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperature rise well below 2°C, and aiming for 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. To do this, UNEP has developed the Sectoral Solution, a roadmap to reducing emissions across sectors in line with the Paris Agreement commitments and pursuit of climate stability. The six sectors identified are energy; industry; agriculture and food; forests and land use; transport; and buildings and cities.
