NCTTCA, UNCTAD & UNEC in partnership to promote and support the implementation of the sustainable freight transport

The Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) has embarked in partnership with United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on an endeavour of promoting and supporting the implementation of the sustainable freight transport systems and strategy across the Northern trade route through the component of Green Freight Program as pilot scheme.

Sustainable Freight Transport entails, in particular, sustainable transport policies, planning strategies and investment decisions that effectively balance the economic, environmental and social objectives. The Revised Northern Corridor Agreement 2007 is ready aligned on these three pillars of a sustainable freight transport.

According to Donat M. Bagula, the Executive Secretary of the NCTTCA, “sustainable Freight Transport in Northern corridor aims at driving the transport interconnectivity, efficiency, inclusiveness and improving the environmental sustainability of logistics”.

“The ultimate benefits from Sustainable Freight Transport for the region”, added Bagula during the UNCTAD workshop attended by more than 80 delegates from Northern and Central Corridors Member States, “are the reduction of transport costs, limit in environmental damages and climate change impacts, and opportunity to redirect resources to tackle persistent challenges, such as lack of efficient and reliable transport infrastructure and logistics services”.

Northern Corridor Green Freight Transport Program

The Northern Corridor Road network transports 96% of goods from the Port of Mombasa and the remaining 4% of goods is transported through the railway mode, pipelines and inland waterways. And as the freight sector continues to grow, its logistics costs and environmental impacts also increases in parallel.

In partnership with United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the NCTTCA is developing a policy paper on Northern Corridor Green Freight Transport Program aimed at aligning and enhancing green activities to promote an efficient and competitive transport sector, inclusive transport system and a green transport in the Northern Corridor region.

“In implementing its current Strategic Plan, the NCTTCA has indeed started to align its program activities to a Sustainable Freight Transport Strategy, with Northern Corridor Green Freight Program as a pilot component”, said Donat Bagula, the NCTTCA Executive Secretary.

The five (05) years Northern Corridor Green Freight Program will, therefore, contribute to the goals of the Global Green Freight Action Plan (GGFAP) spearheaded by Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) which intend to achieve the main objectives of aligning and enhancing the Green Freight efforts as well as supporting countries to develop Green Freight Transport programs and incorporating black carbon reduction targets in the Green Freight Transport programs.