The Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority is poised to implement a new Green Freight Strategy aimed at transforming the corridor into a sustainable and climate-resilient transit route by the year 2050.
This initiative arises from the recognition of Kenya as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases along the 1,700-kilometer Northern Corridor, which serves as a critical trade artery connecting Mombasa, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Eastern DRC in the East African region.
A recent emissions baseline survey, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), conducted among the member states of Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, revealed that road freight emissions along the corridor reached 3.76 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in the previous year.
Of this total, Kenya was responsible for the largest share, emitting 2.59 million metric tons, followed by Uganda with 0.83 million metric tons and Rwanda with 0.34 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
“The report pinpointed significant emissions hotspots along the corridor in Kenya, specifically the Mombasa-Nairobi route with 1.58 million metric tons and the Nairobi-Malaba route with 0.93 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent,” stated John Deng, the executive secretary of NCTTCA.
In Uganda, the Malaba-Busia-Kampala segment contributed 0.35 million metric tons, while the Busia-Malaba-Elegu route accounted for 0.26 million metric tons. In Rwanda, the Kigali-Rusizi route was responsible for 0.28 million metric tons. Collectively, these routes represent 90 percent of corridor emissions, aligning with previous assessments indicating high-emission corridors.
Surveys to determine emission baselines for the additional member states of Burundi, DRC, and South Sudan are currently in progress.
Deng made these remarks in Nairobi during a forum focused on eco-driving and smart freight training, which convened stakeholders from the transport sector, including fleet managers, truck drivers, and regulatory bodies, to address the intertwined issues of road safety and environmental sustainability.
“We are providing drivers and managers with the necessary tools to optimize routes, reduce fuel consumption, and ultimately decrease emissions,” Deng noted. “Our goal is to lower the corridor’s CO2 emissions intensity by 10 percent by 2030, enhance air quality, and ultimately achieve zero emissions by 2050.”
The Corridor Green Freight Strategy 2030 outlines ambitious objectives, including improving freight transport fuel efficiency by 10 percent, reducing CO2 emissions intensity by 10 percent, lowering levels of Particulate Matter (PM), Black Carbon (BC), and Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) by 12 percent, increasing the climate resilience of at least 2,000 kilometers of roadways, and providing eco-driving training to 1,000 drivers.
