The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched Africa’s first-ever vehicle emissions testing project in Kampala, Uganda, marking a significant step towards cleaner air in one of the continent’s fastest-growing cities.
The Real Urban Emissions Initiative (TRUE), supported by UNEP, the International Council on Clean Transportation, and local partners such as the Kampala City Authority, aims to test around 4,000 vehicles over three weeks using advanced plume-chasing technology.
This initiative, following similar projects in cities like London, New York, and Paris, is critical for Kampala, where air pollution levels exceed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safe limits by more than five times.
The data collected from this project will provide crucial evidence for policymakers to tackle the city’s worsening air quality crisis.
“Uganda, like many developing countries, relies heavily on importing used vehicles. This project highlights the need for both importing and exporting countries to maintain strict regulations and standards for used vehicles. This is essential to curb the trade of obsolete, aging, unsafe, and polluting cars,” said Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director of UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division.
The TRUE initiative was launched on July 5, following a week of training for the local task force, which includes members from Makerere University and an installation team from Airyx. Kampala is the first African city to participate in this real-world vehicle emissions assessment.
The project will measure pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, black carbon, and particulate matter relative to carbon dioxide emissions from two-wheelers, light-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles.
The transport sector significantly contributes to air pollution in Kampala, with the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) of Uganda attributing nearly 60% of nitrogen dioxide emissions in the city center to vehicles.
These pollutants are linked to various health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and asthma.
Air pollution is a global crisis that contributed to 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021, according to a recent report by the Clean Air Fund.
The WHO also reports that 99% of people worldwide breathe air that exceeds safe levels, with low- and middle-income countries facing the highest exposure.
In Africa, reliance on used vehicles to meet affordable mobility needs has worsened the problem due to a lack of minimum quality standards for imports.
TRUE’s findings are expected to raise awareness among the public and policymakers about vehicle emissions and support the implementation of measures to regulate them.
The data will also help countries across Africa understand the real-world emissions from their growing vehicle fleets.
Immaculate Nyamaizi, Senior Inspector of Vehicles at the Uganda Ministry of Works and Transport, emphasized the need for a combination of strategies to reduce pollution from transport.
These strategies include enhancing public and non-motorized transport, improving infrastructure, adopting cleaner vehicle technologies, transitioning to electric vehicles (starting with two-wheelers), and digitalizing transport systems.
“This project not only enhances our understanding of the impacts of vehicle emissions on climate and public health but also provides localized data to empower the government and other decision-makers to enact policies regulating vehicle emissions,” said Sergeant Charles Ojok of the Uganda Police Force.
This initiative aligns with UNEP’s Used Vehicles Programme, which advocates for transitioning to cleaner and safer used vehicles by establishing minimum safety and environmental standards in both exporting and importing nations.
The project is especially vital for sub-Saharan Africa, where many countries, including Uganda, have yet to adopt these essential standards.
Supported by the FIA Foundation, the TRUE initiative represents a significant advance in enhancing air quality and public health in Kampala.
Experts believe it could serve as a model for other rapidly developing cities across Africa and beyond.