State targets to cut 10 per cent carbon emissions along Northern Corridor

The government, in collaboration with the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA), has launched a programme to enhance road safety and reduce carbon emissions along the Northern Corridor by 10 per cent by 2030.

The programme implementation started Tuesday through a four-day eco-driving and innovative freight transport managers training.

It brings together key stakeholders from the transport sector, including fleet managers, truck drivers, and regulatory agencies, to tackle the dual challenge of road traffic safety and environmental sustainability.

Partners in the programme include the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), FIA Foundation, Smart Freight Centre (SFC), National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), Kenya Transporters Association(KTA), Kuhne Climate Centre (KCC), Climate Works Foundation, and Diamonds Defensive Driving School.

This initiative is part of the broader Northern Corridor Green Freight Strategy 2030, which seeks to reduce carbon emissions, improve fuel efficiency, and build climate-resilient transport systems.

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The Northern Corridor, which connects the port of Mombasa to five other landlocked countries in the region, currently sees 85 per cent of its cargo moved by road.

In 2024, the Corridor through the port of Mombasa handled 41 million tonnes of cargo compared to 24.88 million tonnes recorded in 2014.

This is an average of 5.1 per cent annual cargo volume growth rate over the past decade.

“However, this growth comes with environmental challenges, as road freight remains a significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at 90 per cent along the Corridor,” said Dr John Deng, Executive Secretary of NCTTCA, during the launch of the training at the Panari hotel in Nairobi.

An emissions baseline study conducted for Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda revealed that in 2024, freight emissions along this route totalled 3.76 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent, with Kenya contributing nearly 69 per cent of that total for the three countries.

The 2024 emission baselines report for Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda revealed that road freight emissions along the Corridor routes reached 3.76 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent (MMtCO2e) distributed as follows:

Kenya contributed 2.59 MMtCO₂e or 68.9 percent, Uganda: 0.83 MMtCO₂e (22.1) and Rwanda at  0.34 MMtCO₂e  or 9 per cent.

The report identified key emissions hotspots along the Corridor routes in Kenya, including Mombasa-Nairobi (1.58 MMtCO₂e) and Nairobi-Malaba (0.93 MMtCO₂e).

In Uganda (Malaba/Busia-Kampala at 0.35 MMtCO₂e, and Busia/Malaba–Elegu (0.26 MMtCO₂e) and in Rwanda is Kigali–Rusizi at 0.28 MMtCO₂e)).

To reduce corridor emissions, the report recommends accelerating modal shifts through Standard Gauge Railways (SGR) electrification, enforcing implementation of Euro 4 vehicle standards to improve fuel efficiency, deploying Zero Emission Trucks (ZETs), and reducing empty trips through logistics hubs, among others.

These measures align with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce emissions by 32 percent for Kenya, Rwanda (38) and Uganda 29 percent respectively by 2030.

The newly validated emissions baseline, covering the three countries, therefore underscores the urgent need for action.

“Through this training, we are equipping drivers and managers with tools to optimise routes, lower fuel use, and ultimately reduce emissions,” said Dr Deng.

He added: “We aim to reduce corridor CO₂ emissions intensity by 10 per cent by 2030, improve air quality and pave the way for zero emissions by 2050.”

The training program will include smart for 20 managers on April 7, 2025, covering energy-efficient technologies, logistics optimisation, and emissions tracking.

Secondly, it will involve eco-driver training for 30 truck drivers between April 8 and 10, 2025, at the NTSA training ground along Likoni Road.

These efforts, Deng said, are aligned with regional Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), including Kenya’s commitment to reduce emissions by 32 percent by 2030.       

“The training not only empowers participants with skills but also strengthens the region’s ability to meet climate goals, improve public health, and foster sustainable trade,” he added.

Road accidents remain one of the government’s greatest challenges, with over 4,700 lives lost in Kenya alone in 2024.

Training of drivers and fleet managers is essential in reversing this trend, and the government believes that through strategic interventions in twelve priority areas—including speeding, fatigue, drunk driving, and vehicle condition- it aims to cut road fatalities and injuries by 50 per cent.

The Northern Corridor, in collaboration with the Climate, Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), developed the Northern Corridor Green Freight Program (2017-2021), whose review was conducted in 2023.

It identified critical challenges hindering the implementation of sustainable solutions in the region, and these include deficiencies in sustainable infrastructure, limited expertise and funding and low public awareness, among others.

“Building on this, and recognising the environmental impact of freight movement along the corridor, the NCTTCA has developed and is currently implementing the Northern Corridor Green Freight Strategy 2030.

The strategy majorly aims at advancing sustainable and climate-resilient solutions along the East African region.

The strategy was developed in partnership with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), UNEP, Smart Freight Centre support SFC), and Kuhne Climate Centre (KCC).

The strategy, he said, sets ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030 and outlines a bold plan to transform the Corridor into a sustainable and climate-resilient corridor by 2050.

These include enhancing the fuel efficiency of freight transport by 10 per cent, reducing CO2 emissions intensity by 10 per cent, and reducing Particulate Matter (PM), Black Carbon (BC), and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX) by 12 per cent.

It also aims at enhancing the climate resilience of at least 2,000 km of roads and implementing eco-driving training for 1000 drivers.

Abdool Kamdan from Smart Freight Centre said 50 per cent of C02 was created in the last 50 years, which is the cause of the catastrophic events, and these are direct consequences of rapid industrialisation for the last 50 to 60 years.

“It's within our power to change this, and we can reduce transport emissions significantly. Road transport accounts for around 90 per cent of all transport emissions. With these steps, we can reduce emissions within our organisations between 20 to 30 per cent without even changing our existing fleets but through driver behaviour, organisation change within companies,” said Kamdan.