Several weeks back the Ministry of Transport and Logistics issued 8-month performance report, which also focused on sustainable green mobility initiative in Ethiopia. The author thought readers would be interested to read about such new initiative in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia launched its Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy in December 2011 in Durban, South Africa during the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The strategy aims to build a carbon neutral and climate resilient middle-income economy by 2025. It also aims to reduce 64% of the national greenhouse gas emission by 2030 compared with the ‘business as usual’. Following the strategy, sector specific climate-resilience strategies were developed for Agriculture & Forestry ,Water & energy and transport sectors. Based on the existing climate resilience and green-growth strategies, Ethiopia has also submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC.
The CRGE strategy elaborates a number of low carbon emitting actions across key economic sectors to achieve its vision. The strategy also tasked the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to establish a national climate fund to mobilize climate finance from various sources to realize this vision. Accordingly, MoF in collaboration with Environment, Forest and Climate Change (EFCCC) established (late 2012) and operationalized (early 2013) the CRGE Facility to attract climate finance to support the institutional building and implementation of Ethiopia’s CRGE Strategy.
Ethiopia’s Green Mobility Initiative is part of its broader commitment to sustainable development and climate-resilient green growth, particularly under its Climate-Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy. Green mobility refers to environmentally friendly modes of transport that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, and promote public health.
CRGE immediately led to mass mobilization in rural Ethiopia in launching massive watershed management campaigns in the form of soil and water conservation campaign which involved 30 million Ethiopians on the average every year.
This was followed by the National Green Legacy Initiative over the last 6 years. The NGLI which was conducted all over Ethiopia in planting more than 40 billion trees across the country. This established the link between CRGE, NGLI, corridor development programs, Basket Bounty and Made in Ethiopia programs. in cities across the country. This establishes the complementarity between all sectors of the economy including agriculture, industry, tourism and now National Sustainable Green Mobility Initiative.
Electrification of Transport is one of the key economic strategies which is based on CRGC. The nation is working to shift from fossil fuel–powered vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs), supported by its abundant renewable electricity (mainly hydro, wind, and solar). EV policy incentives have been introduced, such as tax exemptions on electric cars to make them more accessible.
In terms of public transport improvements, the expansion of light rail systems in Addis Ababa is a flagship project, reducing traffic congestion and pollution. Plans to develop eco-friendly buses and non-motorized transport systems (like cycling lanes and pedestrian walkways). It is to be recalled that the Addis Ababa CITY Administration has recently implemented green mobility strategy by importing 100 electric public buses to add up to public transport facilities in the city.
Ethiopia has started allowing and encouraging the import and assembly of electric cars, buses, and motorcycles. Local companies and foreign investors are being incentivized to set up EV assembly plants.
Urban sustainable mobility planning for integration of green urban transport planning to reduce car dependency and promotion of smart city infrastructure with energy-efficient, accessible transport is vital approach for the sector. The Ministry of Transport and Logistics, along with the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, is spearheading the green mobility transition. A draft National Electric Mobility Roadmap has been developed to guide implementation.
What therefore are the basic benefits of green mobility initiative in Ethiopia?
Street congestion and air pollution IN MAJOR Ethiopian cities are problems that have a great impact on the quality of life of millions of people in the country, so more and more cities are choosing to implement initiatives linked to sustainable mobility. This paradigm seeks to transform the way in which we move around, giving rise to cleaner alternatives that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the quality of the air we breathe, as well as encouraging physical activity among the population and promoting urban development. In addition there are environmental benefits for sustainable mobility.
The implementation of measures linked to sustainable mobility, emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2, methane and nitrogen oxides are reduced. This means a substantial improvement in the air quality of the city in question and, therefore, in the health of citizens and visitors, who will be at less risk of suffering from common ailments such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and allergies.
Similarly, sustainable green mobility reduces the ecological footprint of transportation: less energy is consumed and therefore the demand for natural resources decreases. It also encourages the creation of green spaces in cities, promoting the use of alternative means of transportation, such as bicycles, in areas that are safe for citizens, as well as the preservation of local biodiversity.
Although often overlooked at first glance, urban air quality has as much impact on public health costs as traffic accidents. The greater the pollution, the greater the likelihood of respiratory, cardiac or allergy problems that require visits to doctors for treatment, even if the cause is still present. This generates a necessary economic burden that can be easily reduced with the right measures.
Moreover, in addition to minimizing traffic accidents, sustainable mobility means that there are fewer vehicles circulating on the streets, thus reducing the cost of road maintenance. This is made possible both by policies that promote alternative transportation, and by policies that optimize drivers’ routes through intelligent parking systems that allow them to spend less time driving around looking for a place to park near their destination.
Spending less time commuting also helps increase labor productivity and quality of life for citizens, which ultimately provides an economic boost for small and large businesses. Thanks to sustainable mobility, cities become more attractive places in which to live and work, which attracts new investment more easily and increases employment opportunities in the are
Implementing sustainable green mobility initiatives on a large scale may seem complicated, but it is possible to achieve results in the short term if the first points for improvement and good planning are clear.
Intelligent parking systems help to optimize available parking spaces in cities in a short time, and are easy to install and use. In this way, drivers do not waste time driving back and forth in search of free spaces, so traffic will start to slow down as soon as the parking detection, guidance and control devices are in use.
In addition, these systems provide relevant information on trends in the use of parking spaces and the real needs of drivers. With this data, it is possible to improve urban planning, relocating reserved spaces for specific uses: loading and unloading, people with reduced mobility or charging stations for electric vehicles, among others. It reduces the need to invest in new infrastructure, giving the opportunity to optimize the resources already available in the city.
Smart parking systems are also very useful for promoting the use of other modes of transport, for example, by directing drivers to Park& Ride zones located on the outskirts of cities through the guidance application so that they can continue their journey to the city center by bicycle or public transport. In these cases, it is important that the options are accessible and have frequency and coverage to reach different parts of the city
Finally, smart parking systems allow connecting as many detection devices as desired, which makes it easier for cities to opt for a scalable strategy in which they first cover the most critical areas, which are usually the center or the main entrance roads, and then expand to the rest of the locality.
In short, opting today for measures that promote sustainable mobility may be the best alternative for transforming cities into healthier and more accessible places. Its benefits, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and traffic jams in the streets, mean major changes in the quality of life of citizens and visitors.
In addition, specific strategies such as smart parking systems represent an investment with which it is possible to achieve results in the short term. A way to help rapidly improve air quality with the aim of protecting the health of the population, as well as promoting public and active transportation alternatives to accelerate this transition
Despite the fact that Ethiopia is moving in the right direction on prooting and developing sustainable green mobility, infrastructure gaps including charging stations and adequate and quality road networks are visible challenges that need to be addressed over time.:
On the other hand, high investment for EV infrastructures is another challenge that needs to be resolved either through public private partnership or through FDI. Besides, limited local production capacity and technological know-how as well as Affordability of electric vehicles for the average consumer remain basic challenges to the development of the sector.
As stated above, public-private partnerships (PPPs) to finance and scale up EV infrastructure can help to boost the production of EV for green mobility programs. In addition, public awareness campaigns and research development on establishing factories that can produce batteries to be charged for EV is a possible strategy to develop sustainable green mobility in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia’s green mobility push is a bold and necessary step toward sustainable urbanization and climate action, with the potential to serve as a model for other African nations.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY SOLOMON DIBABA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 3 MAY 2025
