When truck driver Salim Awadh travelled to Mombasa, Kenya, in 2021 for a course on fuel-efficient driving, he had been hauling freight across East Africa for nearly two decades.
Still, the course would prove to be a revelation for the 53-year-old, who often travels along the Northern Corridor, a congested series of highways spanning six countries.
In Mombasa, an instructor showed Awadh how to save fuel by keeping a steady speed, using the highest gear possible and shunning unnecessary acceleration.
Today, Awadh says he uses about 20 per cent less fuel than he once did, saving him money and cutting down on the tailpipe emissions spewing from his 22-wheeled truck.
“Our driving skills are continuously improving, which boosts our income,” says Awadh.
The driving workshop Awadh attended was part of a larger effort, backed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UNEP-supported Climate and Clean Air Coalition to improve fuel efficiency along the Northern Corridor, one of Africa’s busiest transport routes. Observers say those reductions are crucial for cutting air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions – and eventually paving the way for zero-emission electric transport.
“By transforming the Northern Corridor, we can show that transport in Africa doesn’t have to come at the cost of the environment and human health,” says Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director of UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division. “But even more than that, this work can serve as a stepping stone to a future of clean mobility, a transition the world must make to head off the mounting crises of climate change and pollution.”
Vital link
The Northern Corridor is a collection of roads, railways, pipelines and inland waterways linking the largely landlocked countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Kenyan port of Mombasa. Road freight accounts for the vast majority of traffic. Between 2,000 and 3,000 trucks ply the route daily, carrying everything from food to appliances.
That has made it a hotspot for air pollution, says truck driver Moses Radier, who transports freight between Rwanda and Kenya. Many drivers, he says, suffer from respiratory infections and are dogged by coughs, which are often made worse by dust rising from unpaved roads.
Tailpipe emissions also sicken people who live along the corridor, which passes through hundreds of villages and cities on its meandering route from Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Mombasa.
To counter the effects of pollution, the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority – an intergovernmental body – has launched two so-called “green-freight” strategies with support from UNEP and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. The latest was endorsed by national ministers in June. It aims to reduce emissions of three common pollutants – particulate matter, black carbon and nitrogen oxide – by 12 per cent within this decade. These pollutants have been linked to heart disease, stroke, asthma and several other health conditions.
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The strategy is also aiming to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, by 10 per cent. 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 per cent 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 per cent, finds UNEP.
Policy recommendations
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 kilometres 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 to 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 are aiming to harden 2,000 kilometres 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.
“Thewhse 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.
The Sectoral Solution to the climate crisis
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 in pursuit of climate stability. The sectors identified are: energy systems, industry, AFOLU (Agriculture, Forests and Other Land Use), transport, and buildings.
