Working together to reduce climate change
The Government of Liberia (GoL), through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with partners, is hosting a high-level meeting to launch Liberia’s revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) implementation Plan, under the theme: “From Political interest to national buy-in”. The launching program which started today, October 18, is expected to end on October 20, 2022. The well-attended ceremony was marked by classical musical and cultural performances, a welcome remark from Mr. Wilson Tarpeh, EPA Executive Director, Over of the Program by Mr. Jefferson F. Nyandibo, MEAs Coordinator, and UNFCCC Focal Point, and a technical presentation by Mr. John F. Kannah, NDC Coordinator, Liberia.
Mr. Michael F. Garbo, Executive Director, Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL), was among hundreds of guests that attended the launching program. additionally, British Ambassador to Liberia, Neil Bradley, Swedish ambassador to Liberia Urban Sjöström, a representative from the US Embassy, UNDP, World Bank, youth groups, NDC partnership (virtually), Conservational International, FDA Managing Director, Hon. C. Mike Doryen, Minister of Mines and Energy, (MME), Mr. Gesler E. Murray. International partners listed made remarks and committed themselves to keep partnering with the GoL for the NDC implementation plan.
Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemaya Sr., Minister of Foreign Affairs, proxied for President George Weah and officially launched Liberia’s revised NDC implementation plan. He expressed gratitude to the partners for supporting the government. He reminded the audience that no country including Liberia is immune from the increasingly negative impact of climate change. “You will all be aware that Liberia continues to experience the outburst consequences of this climate change, which is categorized by disruption in the agricultural sector, increased coastal erosion, and perennial flooding in various urban communities. This situation is a great concern to the government because even though Liberia is one of the least emissions, the country continues to suffer this proportional devastation in some of its most important sectors, such as fishery, and forestry”.
Minister Kemaya said when President Weah took office in 2018, one of the major steps taken was to ensure the ratification of the Paris Agreement in the same year. “The ratification of this agreement demonstrated the government’s [highest political agreement] to ensure that Liberia is among the comity of nations working together in addressing climate change, with a focus on mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer, gender capacity building, and most importantly, predictable and sustained finance,” he added.
He then called on officials of government to develop the projects embedded in the NDC implementation plan and urged them to work along with the EPA in ensuring that the commitments in the NDC implementation plan are fully implemented.
